


After the Storm

by poppetawoppet



Series: after the storm [1]
Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: F/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-24
Updated: 2009-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-12 07:30:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/122435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poppetawoppet/pseuds/poppetawoppet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a strange lightning storm in Ohio during the American Idol tour, the Idols are taken to a mysterious internment camp in the desert where they discover they have superpowers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Storm

Before.

The word hadn't meant much of anything before the twenty-fifth of August. Before then, everything had been fine. Mostly fine.

After.

That was different.

They had been in trouble the moment they arrived in Columbus, the moment the tour had scheduled a concert there. The girls had invaded the guys' bus, a variation on one of many pranks. It had been a typical Ohio day, clear, muggy, oppressive. Then the sky had turned green and the rain poured in from every direction. The crowds ran into the arena, Adam and Kris grabbed Allison and bundled her back onto their bus. That was the moment before and after split, when everything changed. Later, their publicist, Owen, would insist they had seen it wrong, that it had just been a fluke storm. But they all knew differently. Adam had felt it, seen the lightning reverberate down the aisle.

At first, nothing changed. The show went on. Except Kris’s killer migraine that night. And his wild looks, his new reticence. Adam tried to get him to see a doctor, but Kris shook his head. The tour was almost done, and it wasn’t that bad. Adam knew it was that bad, had heard Kris softly crying in the night. But Adam, of all of them knew the concept of before quite keenly. For Adam before was North Carolina, before was the moment he had almost ruined everything.

But then Matt was sick. The unexplained fevers, frustrating and frightening. Anoop, all too quiet, all too careful. Everything was different and no one would say why. It wasn’t until the last concert, when Adam had to practically carry Kris onto the bus, when he broke the silence and asked for the doctor.

“Kris, something is wrong.”

“I’ll be fine I just need to sleep.”

Adam frowned, helped him to one of the bunks, lay him down. Kris was not fine. Adam looked around outside, ignoring the screams of the fans, finding one of the handlers. Kris grumbled when the doctor arrived, gasped in pain as the light shone in his eyes.

“We need to run tests. Now.”

Kris moaned, and Adam nodded, his heart in his throat. He had been on the road for three months and no trip was longer than the ten minute ambulance ride to the emergency room. Kris swore under his breath, and whimpered he was fine, leave him alone. Adam paced the emergency room, and the stares from the other people, the group too quiet, all of them knew why they were here, too afraid to speak of it. Adam was too worried, knew it showed. Normally he could have contained himself, pushed away the feelings he had been fighting, but this was Kris. Adam admitted this was a shitty time to finally admit it was more than a crush, that maybe it was the perfect time.

Then again, the memory of Kris’ face in North Carolina, the space between them since, maybe Kris had known even before Adam had. Adam cursed himself for almost making the move, for leaning when he should have turned away. But it had been done, and since then… Adam sighed. Kris was his best friend, the one person he could count on, even after that night, but it was after that Adam had begun to realize how much Kris meant to him, that Kris was his everything, that Kris was the nights he called home.

It was then the doctor came out.

“Mr. Allen is sleeping right now. He wasn’t very forthcoming, and I had a question.”

Adam nodded. ”Okay.”

“How long has he been having these headaches? And do not tell me this is the first.”

Adam could have given her the exact time, the day, the cause….”Since late August. Sometime after Columbus.”

The doctor hemmed to herself. “I see.”

“Can I see him?”

The doctor frowned. “Only family is allowed in.”

“We are family. Just one of us. Let one of us stay with him.”

Surprisingly the doctor nodded, a strange look in her eye. Adam was elected unanimously. Kris laid there, his frame small even in the cramped room. He did not move, even when Adam took his hand, brushed Kris's brow with his lips. The only accompaniment to his breathing was the whir of the machines, the steady beep of electronics, the thudding of Adam’s heart. Adam couldn’t close his eyes; afraid Kris would disappear in the night, could only study the perfect face, caress the calloused hand in his own and hope.

Of course Kris felt better in the morning. He always did. Adam was done with excuses, didn’t want to see the evasive look in Kris’ eyes. When the men in biological suits arrived, shouting orders, Adam knew that trouble had finally arrived at last.

_From the recovered files of General Peyton Campbell: Project Storm, Base Zero._

It seems the side effects of Project Storm are as diverse as the subjects it has affected. While those who only received a mild exposure show no symptoms, it seems the more exposure, the stronger the corresponding “ability”. The following files are of all subjects, analysis, lab results, personal commentary from doctors, recommendations for future use.

Subject #1052: Allen, Kristopher. Arrival date 09/17/09. Symptoms: headaches, triggers unknown, though interviews with subjects that arrived with 1052 indicate emotional stress, large crowds were a problem. Telepathy confirmed 09/20/09. Telekinesis confirmed 09/25/09. Subject has been on medication for most of observation time due to said headaches. However, we have had other means of testing 1052’s abilities. As 1052 has learned to block, to filter other’s thoughts, the medication has been decreased. A couple of setbacks have pushed back his release date. His cooperation has been sketchy at best, though if one sees his lab tests, we have been able to work around that for the most part. A note: 1052 was one of the first to completely master his abilities. Well, the telepathy and empathy are still in flux, but the telekinesis is fully his to control. It was quite remarkable.

Testing did run into one snag. Like many of the others, 1052 has needed encouragement to work with us. In one simulation run with 1052’s companions, results were very satisfactory. However, when we ran the test on 10/23/09 with 1057 and 1058, the results were messy to say the least. As we all know now, 1052’s potential is somewhat frightening. However, after said incident, he was down for several days, so it may take time to tap said potential without after effects. Since 1052 has mastered his headaches, and needs to stretch his abilities in a different environment, release is recommended. We may need to bring him back from time to time for further testing, but release into main camp is approved. 02/14/10

Kris blinked at the sunlight, and the last remnants of the drugs still muffled his thoughts. He looked beyond the building behind him, its shadow barely passed his own. At first he saw the shoddily built cabins, and sand. Lots of sand. In the distance was a small complex of buildings, around it all a tall fence, soldiers with their guns pointed both inside and out. A lone road, if the trampled expanse of desert could be called road disappeared into what must have been mountains, surrounded only by miles and miles and miles of miles.

Kris began to walk, his footing still unsure, his shoes too unfamiliar. The people he passed looked at him for a moment, their faces seemingly familiar, then went on about whatever business occupied them, although it didn’t look like much. Kris remembered to filter then, remembered that thoughts were his enemy, crowds were not good, that pain was the only thing that came from the sheer number of people in the camp. He rubbed the back of his neck, and tried to forget the endless dreams, the stretching of time, the exhaustion. Somehow he had known that there were many people here, but seeing them, seeing how many people they had stuck here, still numbed him. Then he saw their faces, really felt them.

Although he buffered against the wave, their hopelessness was too keen, the weariness too heavy. Kris knew somewhere deep in his heart that he would never see home again, not after all that had happened, so he understood it a little. But how much time had really passed for those lines to be set on everyone’s faces? How long had he really been in that lonely room? In a corner of his brain a voice screamed that this was a dream, that if he could only wake up he would be on the bus, preparing for another concert. But that was before the storm, before everything had changed.

He searched the crowd, and looked for someone to hold onto. Despite the hair, Adam was the first person he recognized. Kris could have laughed; he would have known Adam anywhere. He tried to call out, but words wouldn’t come. The sight of the seven of them, some of the most important people in his life, left him speechless. He picked up his pace, until Allison squealed, pointed. Adam turned then, his eyes direct, everything he felt blazing through the delicate barrier of Kris’s mind. Then they all came, collided in a cloud of tears and laughter.

“What kept you?” Adam asked as they stood in the shadows. “Or was the bunker that nice?”

“The bunker?” Kris asked.

Everyone pointed to the building in the east, the one Kris had emerged from that morning.

“Oh,” he said. “Okay. Well, to be honest, with the drugs and tests and all, I’m not even sure what day it is. What month it is.” _What year it is._

Adam sighed. “Well, the camp counselors were kind enough to give us a day off for Valentine’s Day so you came just in time to help decorate for the dance.”

Kris gaped. February? It was February? Oh God. Katy. Oh God. His breath was shallow, the delicate wall he had constructed began to crumble, and everyone began to shout at him, at least it seemed to be in his mind. He could hear them telling stories, their voices building on top of each other, one of them screaming, it must have been Scott, for Todd. It was all bundled in love and joy and fear, the patchwork of emotions beginning to smother him. Kris tried to speak, to tell them they needed to stop, tried to resurrect one of the exercises, but he couldn’t focus. He dropped to one knee, forcing his hands to stay at his sides when he wanted to claw at his head, to release the pain. Adam knelt beside him, a new wave hitting him, all the things he had suspected confirmed in one moment, and assaulted him.

“Don’t… don’t… tell…” Kris gasped, and spots formed in front of his eyes.

“Shhh, don’t speak,” Adam whispered, “It’s okay.”

Kris panicked, because if the doctors realized that the headaches were back, he would be back in the bunker, back to the haze of never knowing exactly what was going on while being painfully and completely aware of it. He couldn’t go back, not to the dreams, the endless nights…

**Don’t tell them it was a headache. Please.**

_Subject #1057: Lambert, Adam. Arrival date 09/17/09. No overt symptoms upon arrival. First use of ability unknown, as subject may have been using it without direct knowledge. For now we have termed it vocal manipulation. It seems that 1057 can influence others when using a certain vocal inflection. Subject mastered abilities rather quickly, though his vocal training probably helped in this area. As with others, 1057 became more difficult as he was not allowed to see the others. Again, with the right inspiration, 1057 became very helpful. While his ability is useful, getting him to completely cooperate will take time. He will be a useful tool in controlling the others. We must be able to observe him outside of the lab, to see if we can find a way to make him cooperate fully. Release to main camp recommended 10/30/09_

Subject #119: Simms, Emily. Arrival date 08/30/09. Symptoms: a very loud voice. An extremely loud voice. Although of little use, 119 was one of our original subjects, and has been useful in providing base statistics for us. 119 is an interesting case study, probably an ideal candidate for Base Three, to see if her lack of power affects the possible genetic spread.

Adam had never cared much what people thought, especially now holding Kris’s hand, hoping he would wake, wondering if he would. Allison was just beside him, her eyes too old, too sad, a familiar ache in his chest knowing she shouldn’t be here. The others were in the main room of the cabin, waiting. The last five months had been hell, and without his best friend it had been bad. Kris seemed so much smaller, skin and bones and worry lines. Adam sighed, the only one who had heard the desperation in the voice that had rung in his head, was the only one who knew that Kris had had it very bad, possibly the worst out of all of them. Of course no one wanted to go back to the bunker, not even Danny, who had had a hard time believing that it had been as bad as everyone had said.

“Please tell me we got lost on our way to the airport and this is the worst hotel ever.”

Adam looked down, smiled softly, “Sorry, still in Area 51.”

Kris sat up slowly as Allison went to go get the others, “Area 51?”

“Well, that’s what we call it. The, ah, doctors, the guards call it Base Zero. We liked area 51 better. Especially since we are in New Mexico. And don’t ask how we know, we did check GPS on our phones before they were taken away.”

Kris chuckled, his face almost looking normal again

“So Adam says you must be a telepath or something,” Allison asked from the door, the others crowding in the tiny room.

Kris nodded slowly. “With a dash of empathy and telekinesis thrown in for good measure.”

“Ok you lost me for a minute.”

“He can move stuff with his mind. Also feel emotions to an extent. Right?” Anoop commented.

Kris nodded, and Adam realized the implications of it all, and carefully pushed his feelings down, his thoughts to something that resembled normalcy.

“Don’t completely freak on me, everyone. I, uh, can filter most thoughts anyway. Kind of like ignoring that high pitched noise that comes from your TV. It’s the strong thoughts and emotions I have to really worry about. Plus it would be rude to peek, right?”

“Allen, only you would talk about telepathy and think about your manners.”

Kris shrugged.

“So earlier, what was that about?” Michael asked.

“Well, I’m new at this, and with all of you, and finally realizing that I lost five months somewhere, well, I backtracked.”

“So I’m guessing you won’t need much of a recap of the last three months then?”

“Bear with me a minute: we’re in a government internment camp of some sorts for people with, ah, abilities? It had to have been that damn storm outside Columbus, wasn’t it? Todd and Lil were in the back of the bus, so they weren’t hit as bad, Alli’s mom was still on the girls’ bus, which means she wasn’t affected at all. They went home. Matt’s still in the bunker, somewhere. The rest of you are here, mostly. That about cover it?”

Adam stood and walked to the tiny window. It was odd that five months could be dissected in so few sentences, that it was all they had. Every day they woke to sand and sun and soldiers, their days concentrated on meaningless tasks, lab days that were best left alone. The most memories were from the beginning, the flight here to the special ‘hospital’, Kris and Matt rushed off with no words. Adam had held onto Alli as long as he could, until the lines were separated into boys and girls, her crying echoing from across the room. The moment they realized they weren’t going to a normal hospital, that this was real, when the young man in the blue shirt-no one had known him, Adam wished over and over he had at least had a name to call him- when he began to fight, to call for his lawyer, and demand his rights… The sharp blast still echoed in his dreams, the moment frozen in his memory, that was a moment of before and after. After that, going home seemed more distant than ever.

Adam had never thought much on his ancestry until that day, when they gave him a number, told him to strip, change into nondescript grays, to shave his head, to walk down a hall that resembled a hospital, except his door locked, and the screaming and crying kept him up the first few nights. But the one thing the doctors hadn’t counted on was that Adam didn’t care about his looks, not really, he had been himself for so long that a buzz cut and a terrible pair of pants wasn’t going to kill him. He was just glad to be the hell out of the building, the pain of not cooperating had almost killed him. Outside, nothing could be accomplished, because if you talked, you disappeared. Adam couldn’t see them all, but there were enough surveillance cameras to cover any escape plans. Suicide, if one contemplated it, was also out, no razors had been given out. Those who still wanted it over, they continued to tread water, to eat their three meals a day, do their chores, had chosen merely to survive. Adam, as well as others had chosen to cooperate at least on a limited basis, with the doctors, just to be given a chance to practice their abilities. Of course it was on their terms, but any chance to practice, just in case there was an opening to escape…

“Adam?”

Kris was holding onto his arm, his face pale. Adam shook himself. “Yeah?”

“They shot someone?”

Adam blinked, saw the room was empty, realized it was dinnertime.

“You, ah, were thinking pretty loud, and I, ah, wanted to get you for dinner, and I saw, uh, well,” Kris swallowed

“When we came in, when we got out of the bunker, others told us that they shot at least four or five others. Guess more of them resisted. Guess we can talk about it cause they want the lesson reinforced. I suspect if they didn’t want us to talk about it we would know,” Adam nodded towards one of the cameras outside.

“Jesus.”

Adam looked at him, and knew that even with what happened in the bunker, there were still things to fear. They walked in silence to dinner, and Adam was afraid to do what he really wanted, to sling his arm over Kris’ shoulder, to hold him close and tell him it was okay. But considering what had happened after North Carolina, Adam knew that it would be a mistake. In the months apart, he had confirmed his worst suspicions: he had fallen head over heels for his best friend, and he couldn’t let him know, didn’t want to bombard him with any more than he had to handle. They sat at a table and shoveled in what the camp counselors (and they really needed to come up with a better name than that) called food, and Adam noticed how separate the eight of them really were. Perhaps it was their friendship. The idea of having been through something together, having been through two somethings together. Maybe it was because some of the other refugees had recognized them; maybe it was all his imagination. Either way, their group was the one with smiles, the only brightness in the large room.

“JUST BECAUSE I’M FROM OHIO DOES NOT MEAN I BLEED SCARLET AND GRAY!”

Adam laughed as Kris’ head whipped around, and looked at a nearby blonde.

“That’s Emily; she has trouble with her volume sometimes.”

Kris smiled a little. “I don’t blame her. I mean, really, Ohio State?”

Adam watched as he, Anoop and several others began to argue college ball. He shook his head, glad of the diversion, any diversion that put smiles on people’s faces. He shrugged at Emily who blushed and tried to argue that high school football was way better than college ball anyway. Emily was one of the closest to their group. She and Allison had been released the same day, had made friends.

Anyone who made Alli smile again was good in Adam’s book.

Adam sighed when everyone rearranged themselves in the cabin to put Kris in with him. Of course it made the most sense: they were best friends after all. Plus with Danny across the “street” and Allison next door, there was still a little room to maneuver. It was late in the night when Adam heard Kris get up, go outside. Adam hesitated, cursed himself and followed.

“Can’t sleep?”

Kris shook his head. “Have to filter consciously. Can’t block dreams yet.”

Adam swallowed. “I can see how that may be a problem.”

Kris wryly smiled. “It has nothing to do with geography if you are terribly concerned. It could be anyone’s.”

“Well, still, I’m sure there are plenty of bad dreams to be had.”

“You have no idea.”

The bitterness made him stop for a moment. This was not his Kris. This Kris was unsteady, unsure. The Kris Adam knew was the rock they had all leaned on. He was their foundation. Seeing him like this, knowing he had suffered, even knowing they had all suffered knowing Kris’ pain… Adam wanted to reach out, like before. Before it would have been fine. Before, Adam could have done it. Before, Kris had been able to handle anything with calm and grace, rarely broken his reserve. After, three times in the space of one day his face had fallen, his eyes had turned hard, his voice had broken.

“All right, spill.” Adam sat on the steps, as close as he could get without directly touching him.

“It’s nothing. It’s everything. I missed Christmas. I missed drinking with my brother and singing Christmas carols off key while wearing an ugly sweater my aunt gave me. I’m supposed to be promoting my album, gearing up for a tour. I’m supposed to be home. All these people: one day with them, even filtered and I’m worn out. Worn down. Worst of all I’m glad Katy isn’t here. Does that make any sense? This whole year has been surreal, but this takes the fucking prize. And you. You’re sitting over there, thinking to yourself so loudly that you can’t let me know, that it’s too much for me to handle. I’m telling you right now that I didn’t have to be a telepath to know how you felt, Adam! Jesus, it’s all over your face! Don’t look at me like that! I’m tired of that look, tired of people shying away and it’s been one fucking day! I—“

Kris rubbed his face with his hands, trembling, and Adam gave up. He reached over, pulled Kris close, held him as his body shook, and wished the tears would come, and knew even this was a step forward. Adam rubbed his back, softly singing the first Christmas carol he could think of. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” probably wasn’t what Kris had in mind, but it seemed to be working. The tremors seemed to have passed, Kris seemed to be calming. Adam sighed. He didn’t care anymore; it was good just to feel something positive for once.

**Yeah. Me too.**

_Subject #1056: MacIntyre, Scott. Arrival date 09/17/09. No symptoms exhibited upon arrival. An interesting ability. The return, the gain of eyesight was most intriguing. He kept demanding his brother, subject #1049, remaining completely uncooperative his whole time in testing. However, the mishap (as described in 1056’s last lab report) has made 1056 very volatile. While he has been released to main camp, we still recommend termination. Even though base three should be a possibility, the combination of the error in testing and the psychological effects of our testing has made 1056 entirely unsuitable for any further research._

I can feel the dust everywhere, the dry heat cracking my skin, the sun beating down. But it is better than the cool hallways of the bunker, better than the place I was. I didn’t have to see the shot to know our captors meant business. After all, we had been unceremoniously been shipped off without a word to our families, where did they think we were going? Sometimes I feel so lost, I wish my brother was here.

I want to go home, where the steps are all familiar, where the spaces don’t change. I want to sit at my piano, to sing again. I want that one shining moment in the locked room where I could see, where everything came at me in shapes and colors. I want my brother back. The guards call me Cyclops, because of the glasses, glasses I should have never needed in the first place. I wouldn’t know about comic books, about any of it.

Sometimes, when I feel the most confused, when it becomes really bad, Adam sits with me and tells me it’s going to be okay. He is very calming. But I still want to go back to normal. Sometimes I dream about what happened in the dark, and I’m scared. I don’t want to be scared anymore.

_Subject #1053: Giraud, Matthew: Arrival 09/17/09. Symptoms: persistent fevers. First exhibited signs of pyrokinesis 10/12/09. A most cooperative subject, it has been necessary to keep 1053 here for his own safety. A number of accidents have pushed back his release date several times. However he is most eager to explore all aspects of his ability. In the time we have had with 1053, he is an ideal candidate to recruit right away. He has worked with us directly and honestly. In order to truly test his compliance, we must release him into camp, must let him gain information our cameras cannot collect. Release approved 03/01/10_

Kris sat on the steps of the cabin, and hummed softly to himself. He had no idea how this particular song had gotten stuck in his head, but it was a welcome distraction in the break before lunch. The last two weeks had been tough. He remembered particularly the one day he had lain in bed,  crying because it had been too much. All these people, all their pain. The memories of his drug induced state were coming back, the time there too painful to ignore, the horror too much to bear. Most days, he would grit his teeth and get up. His friends helped. Before, and there was a word that carried so much weight, before he had been so sure of everything. Now it was all a mess, and without his friends to lean on, he was sure he would have been lost.

He laughed a little. A year ago, he would have said he was strong enough on his own. Six months ago, he would have said without Allison and Adam, he wouldn’t be standing where he was. Now, if he was asked…. He shook his head, the low buzz too familiar. Adam had barely talked to him since his arrival in the main camp. Kris understood, considering, but at the same time it depressed him. Adam had been the one person he had been closest too, and now—Kris should have been frightened of all those feelings, should have walked away. Should was another weighty word. Knowing what Adam felt was more of a comfort than it should have been. It was nice to experience good feelings, though Kris felt guilty for purposely placing himself in Adam’s presence just to feel them. But at night, when the dreams came, when the memories were to dark, and left him shaking, running to the bathroom, he knew he had to grab onto something to survive.

“You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain, too much love drives a man insane, you broke my will, oh what a thrill, goodness gracious great balls of fire”

“Kris?”

Adam looked at him, his face concerned. Kris hadn’t even realized he was singing aloud. He looked around quickly, and realized it had only been just loud enough for Adam to hear. Late February they had had the ill advised idea to give a mini concert after dinner. But any activity not sponsored by their camp counselors was strictly forbidden. They had all decided then that having a gun stuck to their throats was not a good way to spend any evening. That “Doctor” Campbell, head counselor, camp headmistress, was a scary scary woman.

“Of all the songs to sing, to get yourself killed over, why that one?”

Adam leaned over the rail, grinning.

“I don’t know, just popped into my head. The funny thing is that it sounds exactly like Matt.”

“Matt?”

“Did someone call for me?”

Adam’s head turned and Kris stared as the song turned up full blast. There was Matt, the healthiest looking camper he had ever seen, a stupid grin on his face, singing in his head. Then Allison, always Allison, came ruining and screaming and they were a pile in the dirt, laughing and calling his name.

People passed by them on their way to lunch, brief flashes of fear and jealousy. If the guards, the counselors disapproved, Matt would not be here. Why shouldn’t they be happy? Matt was a piece of them. Kris concentrated as everyone chattered. He hated to peek, the battle between wanting to know and respecting everyone’s privacy fresh in his mind.

“The bunker? Is that what you call it?”

Everyone nodded, Alli shivered. “So glad to be here?”

Matt shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad.”

Then Kris got it: Matt was one of the lucky few who had escaped the worst, who had been treated as if he were normal. He looked confused at everyone’s stories that builded on top of each other. Well, the stories they wanted to tell, wanted to share. Some things would never see the light of day.

“But they said, I mean, the guards… they shot someone?”

Everyone nodded. **I can show you if you want.**

His face turned to Kris’, the crack in his heart all over it. “Okay,” he whispered.

Kris concentrated: he hadn’t tried this before, was only slightly sure it would work, considering it wasn’t his memory. Matt slowly paled, nodded.

“So what do we do about getting out of here?”

Everyone gasped and looked around.

**We don’t talk about that. Not unless you want to disappear. And for crying out loud can you sing a new song already?**

Matt looked at him, a small smile on his face. “Sorry, it’s just been in my head man.”

“Why that one?”

Matt grinned, holding out his hand, a small flame appearing, gone.

Anoop poked him. “Bet you couldn’t hold it in. Couldn’t control it, except instead of riffology it was flameology.”

Matt laughed. “Got it in one, man, got it in one.”

Once again at lunch they were slightly separate; the nine of them joked and laughed, although not too loudly, they knew that was a problem, too. To Kris more faces would turn their way every day, more people seemed to want to join, but were too afraid to ask. Emily was the only one who dared, the only one who seemed comfortable enough to enter their bubble. He made a mental note to try and make friends, to try to include them, if he could, if the counselors would let them, to try and bring some light.

“All right, so I know Kris is a what do you call it?”

“Telepath. With telekinesis thrown in for good measure. I move stuff with my mind.”

“I know what telekinesis is. What about everyone else? What? I’m curious? I mean, it makes us the Justice League of America or something, doesn’t it?”

Kris cracked a grin. Trust Matty to reduce it to comic books. Just like everyone else had.

“No way,” Mike spoke up. “Totally X-Men.”

“X-Men?”

“Yeah, I mean we got Cyclops,” he pointed to Scott, “A much more powerful version of Jubilee, maybe Dazzler,” He nodded at Allison, “Our very own Beast, except a lot less furry,” Anoop grinned, “A female Angel, no wings necessary,” Megan rolled her eyes, “I guess I could call Adam somewhat like Banshee or Siryn, but a lot cooler, and Danny is kind of like a reverse Wolverine, and you Matty, well, I guess you don’t really have a character, but I’m sure I’ll remember one soon. Me? I guess I’m Kitty Pryde, much to my dismay. And Kris, well, Kris is our very own Jean Grey.”

“I told you a million times, I am not Jean Grey. At least give me Professor X. Jeez,” Kris sighed.

“Nope. You aren’t strong enough to be Professor X yet. Gotta work on it for awhile.”

Matt giggled through the whole of this; the rest of us had already heard this. Mike and a couple of comic book geeks had categorized everyone in camp as best they could, arguing X-Men had the most diversity; therefore it was the best fit. It was also the fifth meal in a row this conversation had been brought up.

“I still say that there are nine of us, and that makes us a fellowship,” Anoop argued.

Adam, Allison and Kris all groaned. Not this again.

“Just because I’m short does not make me a hobbit, Noop. Anyway, they were all guys.”

“Anyway, Adam is more of a Dumbledore than a Gandalf,” Allison giggled, and tried to change the subject yet again.

Kris laughed then as they ventured into other literature, what the rightful name of their group should be. He was fairly certain that the counselors would not approve of any such idea, that if they ever settled on a name, that mentions of said name would be banned. Yes the counselors let them be together, but Kris had a distinct feeling they had their reasons, that it was all a part of the larger experiment. Matt had been right, there had to be a way out of here, but they couldn’t talk about it, could do nothing but live each day as the one before, to wonder what was the purpose, to begin to wear down in the dust, to be blown away, just another grain of sand.

Then the stupid song came again.

“Jeez, Kris, I can’t help it!”

Kris stared at Matt, sitting three people down, and glared right at him. “I didn’t—“

“You told me to shut up.”

“I--” Kris paused, and his thought whirled. He nudged Adam and Allison, and focused on all three of them. He wondered if he could get it to work again.

 **Can all of you hear me?** They nodded. **Hmmm, guess this means I can reach just a little further. This could be interesting.**

If he could talk to them, what about the others? What about the whole camp? Kris had a vague memory of doing something big, of the pain that came with it. If he practiced enough could he do it again?? Kris tried to keep calm, but his thoughts kept bouncing around, asking new questions at every turn. Could he form an escape plan without anyone finding out? Kris tried to keep reality in check, but the thought of seeing trees again, of sleeping in a real bed, of sleeping without the dreams appealed to him. For the first time since he had lain down with a blinding headache in August, he began to hope again.

_Subject #1059: Iraheta, Allison. Arrival 09/17/09. No visible symptoms. At first thought to be exhibiting signs of telekinesis. However, subject began to display control over light 09/30/09. At first 1059 was dispelling our theories on exposure to Project Storm and is correlation with power of abilities. We knew 1059 had had direct exposure, but her abilities seemed weak in comparison. However, as the weeks progressed, 1059 began to show control over all **aspects** of light. (Reflection, color, see related experiment pages). A sensitive subject, the decision to keep her here at base Zero has been justified many times over. Although probably belonging at Base Two, she has shown that she has been able to handle many things thrown at her. She has been fairly easy to control. It remains to be seen how useful she will be in future projects._

_Subject #1058: Sarver, Michael. Arrival 09/17/09. No visible symptoms. Progressed to ‘phasing’ through objects 09/25/09. Had to keep 1058 drugged until we could determine he would stay here. Again, like many of the group 1058 arrived with, he was highly uncooperative. However, the lure of his family has kept 1058 in line. Although not a terrible powerful ability, his ability to literally walk through walls could prove to be a great asset. Recommendation to commence testing to see if he can ‘bring’ someone along._

Adam could have laughed at the irony of it all, if it weren’t so sad. In a camp full of freaks, he was still an outsider. In the weeks since they had begun to set plans in motion, all of it through Kris, of course, their group had begun to reach out, to feel for people they thought they could count on. For the most part, it seemed to be working. Most of the refugees were too cautious, still too afraid. Kris tried to reassure them, but he could only reach so many people at once, even with the daily exercise his abilities were getting. There was only so much he could do before collapsing. Adam sighed, hating seeing Kris this way, hated seeing him work beyond exhaustion. He wanted to give him a shoulder to lean on, but it had been too awkward. Adam cursed the storm again, cursed the day everything had changed. Because of the storm he had lost his best friend, the one person who had treated him as if nothing was different. Even when he had fucked thing up in North Carolina, Kris had been the one who had acted normal, had been seemingly unaffected. It was hard to be alone after so many months of having someone who accepted you. Someone who completed you in a way you could have never imagined. But Adam also felt it was better this way, better not to subject Kris to any more feelings than he had to take.

For Adam, the project of making new friends was not working. Well, it worked at first, especially with fans. But it was who he was that shied them away, what his abilities were. When you told someone you could control them with your voice, it scared them off. Not that Adam would want to use it, only when he had to. His main job seemed to be babysitting Scott, who was walking a fine line between sanity and batshit crazy. Adam could calm him down, stop him from taking off the glasses the counselors said were essential for him to keep on. All the things he had seen and Adam still had a hard time believing in heat ray vision. But what the counselor’s said was law, so he didn’t question it.  Whatever had happened to Scott, it had been bad. Even Kris had a hard time breaking though the wall, and the one time he had… Adam shivered as he remembered that night in particular, warring with himself every night over the nightmares in the bunk below him, this one night jumping down, holding Kris close until he slept again, never saying a word. But besides Scott, there was nothing, Adam shrugged; at least he had some use.

 

When Allison came bounding up to him, dragging Emily along, Adam smiled. Allison had been too subdued, and the new project as bringing her old self back again. Adam had tried to get her to say something about before to talk about anything, but she had looked at him and said,

“I’ll talk when you do. When I have permission to. What is there to say, Adam? We got struck by crazy lightning in the middle of Ohio and now we’re all living in superhero internment camp where they did bad things to get us to play nice? That’s pretty much everyone’s story.”

Alli, if nothing else, had become blunter than before. She was his rock of late, the person he depended on, since things between Kris and him were so… strained. Emily, well, they didn’t have an official name for their group, but she was one of the first to join up. She had little or no power, was often ignored by the guards, the counselors, had been given free range. She was also one of the few people outside the “fellowship” (and that name had stuck) who didn’t avoid Adam. For that reason alone, he loved her a little.

“What’s up girls?”

“We need to talk,” Allison emphasized, indicating a need to conference with Kris.

“Ok. What about?”

Allison began to prattle about sleepovers and cabin switching and how it was totally unfair that she couldn’t go spend the night with another friend. Adam murmured appropriate responses, clearing his own thoughts, concentrating. He was sitting outside because Kris was taking an opportunity to rest, and anyone who wanted to see him had to go through Adam first. They had found out, through trial and error that if one of them thought loud enough, Kris would ‘just happen’ to join their group, to be a part of a conversation. Although no real planning was happening, the beginnings of something was in the air.

He sighed. This was taking too long. He was going to have an aneurysm if he wasn’t careful.

“Alli, I love you, but it’s not going to happen. Maybe someone else can explain that.”

He stood, hoping he had gotten his meaning through. It was hard sometimes talking in code, avoiding everything that really needed to be said. He peeked in the cabin, saw Kris had gotten up, was talking with Mike in the main room. He walked in, paused as Kris shook his head. **Wait a sec.**

Adam stopped, leaned against the wall. Even Kris’ mental voice had the same inflection.

“What I’m saying Mike is that they did mean it. I believe it, but even if we do get to go home, do you think things could ever be the same?”

“I don’t know. But I have to try, without them, I have nothing. I mean after we get out of here, the first phone call is Katy, right?”

Adam should have walked away.

“Yes. But how much does she know? Can she accept everything that’s changed in me? I don’t know. I love her. Will always love her. But I have to face the fact that maybe I can’t go home again.”

Kris looked directly at Adam, his eyes unreadable. Adam blinked, knowing he had acknowledged the same feelings in his heart. To hear Kris say it aloud, to hear him recognize that this might be forever, it broke him.

“I get it. Just don’t give up completely. Okay?”

“I won’t. I have to go; Adam has something to show me apparently.”

Kris stood, patting Mike on the back, looked at Adam. **Then after Allison, you and I are going to have a talk.**

Adam raised his eyebrows. Over the last few weeks he had become the leader again, but this time because he wouldn’t let anyone take it from him. Plus the added bonus of being the only one who knew everything that was going on. They walked outside and sat on the steps, Allison and Emily gathering close. Kris could broadcast to anyone once he met them, but hearing their thoughts took familiarity or direct contact. For example, Kris’ knee touched Emily’s, but Allison and Adam were slightly apart. Unfortunately, Adam could only hear Kris’ part of the conversation, but he was getting the gist of it. When they had first done this at the beginning of the month, Adam had laughed and told Kris that he was lucky he was a musician and was used to doing multiple things at once.

It seemed Emily had finally discovered a new aspect to her abilities, or confirmed a long suspicion of hers. Why it was important now---

**So if Em is a booster, then maybe…**

Booster?

Kris grinned, looked his way. **She and Allison seem to think she’s extra horsepower, that she magnifies other people. Her ‘vocal’ talent is merely an aspect of that.**

Adam nodded slowly. Kris had been working hard to reach multiple people at once, but it was going slow, any more than ten resulted in a mild headache. He had tried for twenty once and had ended up in bed, the rest of them lying for him, saying he was feeling queasy. At the rate they were going, it would take years to reach everyone in camp.

**Maybe dinner.**

Adam frowned, knowing experimentation on top of the headache in Kris’ eyes was not a good idea.

“No.”

Three heads turned as he had interrupted the flow of their fake conversation. Adam hadn’t meant to say it aloud. He shrugged. “Sorry, but I, ah, don’t think it’s a wise idea to push too far, you know?”

The girls looked confused, because he had seemingly been on their side, but Kris caught the hidden meaning, sighed. **Adam, I’m perfectly-**

Adam turned to him, shook his head. He then ignored Kris’ attempts to get his attention as Alli and Emily finished up and went on their way.

**You have no right to order me around. I’ll do what I want when I want**

Adam sighed. He didn’t want to have this conversation. Not now. Kris had scooted closer to him. It was easier to talk both ways if they were touching.  It wasn’t the right time, was never the right time, and he had trouble trying to form the right words, when before, before it had been all so easy. He stared out into the desert, if he squinted, the fence almost disappeared, and he could have been at summer camp. If summer camp involved men with guns.

**You already have a headache, Kris. Why push it further. There’s still time.**

**No there’s not. The longer we’re here, the longer I’m here, the worse it gets. Soon enough none of us will have any reason to leave, because we’ll all be shuffling along on our misery, going through the motions—  
**

Adam forced himself not to turn, forced himself not to react to the anxiety, the misery in Kris’ voice. **Kris, if you kill yourself, or get yourself back in the bunker, what good will that do? One day won’t make that much of a difference.**

**It does.**

Kris laughed, short and bitter. **Then again, what do you care? You pull yourself away from it all more and more every day.**

Adam turned then, he didn’t care. **That was uncalled for. You know that I care too fucking much, that it kills me that I can’t help more. But when everyone walks away from you, maybe I shouldn’t be associated with this at all.  You don’t think I can hear you at night? You don’t think I don’t know about the dreams?  I was just trying to save you a little pain and suffering. But if you want to go the martyr route, that’s fine by me.**  
He stood and walked away, glad to hear nothing but the emptiness of his own thoughts, the weariness of his heart, too tired to cry anymore, too worn down to even care.

_Subject # 1060: Gokey, Daniel. Arrival 09/17/09. Symptoms mirrored those of 1052 and 1053 as well as a number of injuries he could not explain. After much observation and testing, it seems 1060 is able to transfer ailments onto himself. 1060 came into Base One eager to learn, and we have begun the process of transferring the ailments to other things, and it seems to be working on a limited basis. However a side benefit is that 1060 can see ailments where other testing cannot, so he may be useful as a diagnostician. He is perhaps our greatest ally in our recruitment program. The notion of giving him #458 to watch over is however ridiculous. Although 1060 is the perfect person to trust with 458, she is too much of a flight risk. Regarding 1060, he is recommended as first transfer to Base Four._

_Subject #458: Todd, Johanna. Arrival 09/01/09. The doctors all agree that while 458’s ability is extremely useful, she represents the greatest danger to Project Storm. Although keeping 458 mildly sedated is working, it would take one missed medication to ruin many many plans. Furthermore, we have no hold over 458, and protest her release into the custody of 1060, effective 04/02/10._

Kris sat on the porch in the early afternoon, tired. He was always tired, the low level headache so familiar he barely noticed it. Adam had been right, he was overworking himself, but the thought of trying to get out of this place was too tempting to slow down. Kris closed his eyes, wincing at the memory of Adam walking away. He had been wrong to insinuate that Adam didn’t care, but… No, he had been right, and Kris had yet to apologize. Of course in the two months since he had left the bunker, it was hard to define his relationship with Adam anymore. They had been close before. Before. Before they had shared everything, and now they were practically strangers. Kris wanted to go back to before, to at least a semblance of before, but time had gotten away, and Adam wouldn’t listen anymore. Kris shook his head as he saw Danny coming toward him, a visitor in tow. Another recruit he supposed, sighing inwardly. He had signed himself up for this, signed himself up to be the fearless leader, but what they never told you was that being the leader meant you were tired all the time, that it was hard to sleep at night both because of the dreams and because of the worry that it might be your fault that they all die here in the desert. That being the leader meant that sometimes your friends were pieces of a puzzle, and moving them into place was hard because they were your friends, and you shouldn’t use them like that.

Then Kris saw that Danny was carefully leading his charge, gently settling her on the porch. Kris looked at him not knowing what to say. Her eyes were glazed over, just slightly, probably on whatever drug combination she was on. Some of the campers had to take drugs- they were safe enough to releases, but couldn’t be trusted not to escape just yet. Obviously this girl was one of them. Why Danny had brought her, though…

“Hey, we were just out for a walk, and I thought we could rest here,” Danny smiled carefully. “Joey, this is Kris, Kris, this is Johanna, but she prefers Joey.”

Kris sat carefully. “Hi, Joey, it’s nice to meet you.”

She mumbled a response. Kris looked carefully at Danny, who began to ramble on about something. **Okay, what’s the deal Danny?**

**They told me to take care of her. To make sure she stays out of trouble, to see if I can be trusted. To make sure she stays alive.**

Kris raised his eyebrows. Danny had long ago told him that he had been approached to be the first refugee to join the other side. Danny had volunteered to play along, to see if he could get information, and help their escape. Even though his experience so far had been fairly easy, Danny was very troubled by what was happening.

**All right, so why risk bringing her here?**

**She, I, I can’t do it. I’ve had her for three days, and I don’t know if I can do it.**

Kris sighed, took her hand carefully. He had made it a personal rule not to peek, but this was an emergency he guessed. Though what Danny expected, he really didn’t know. Once he got past the haze, Joey’s mind was very clear, very precise. Remembered sharing her dreams at one point.

**What do you want me to do Danny? Even she understands why they are doing what they are doing.**

**I don’t know. It’s just you, and, I don’t know.**

Kris scrubbed at his face with his hands. **I can’t do anything either Danny. Sorry.**

Danny’s face fell, and Kris wanted to punch him. Just because he was the leader didn’t mean he could change the way their world worked. Sure they could help Joey, but at what risk to themselves? Kris hated it, hated the idea that they had to let people suffer to achieve a goal, but it was necessary. He turned around, walked away so he didn’t have to face Danny, to face Joey, to know she was trapped in there, and he could do nothing to help her escape for the time being.

He had forgotten Adam was inside until he passed by him, saw him stir to get up.

“You don’t have to go,” Kris whispered, desperate for anyone to talk to.

“Yes, I do.” The look Adam gave him would have hurt if the feelings that went with it had matched. Adam had become slightly unreadable, not just because Kris didn’t want to know, but Adam’s emotions of late had been so varied it was hard to pick up on exactly how he felt. Kris had watched him walk away before, but he didn’t want that anymore.

“Adam, please. Look, I’m sorry.”

Adam turned raised an eyebrow.

**I know this may sound a little self-centered, but did you ever think that you aren’t the only one who is alone? Just because everyone comes to see me doesn’t make me everyone’s friend. I mean they let me talk to them, but its hard to conceal your feelings that way, and I’m tired of everyone being afraid that I know what they are thinking, what they are feeling. I’m tired of you walking away because you think I’m weirded out or something. I’m… tired.**

Adam sat across from Kris. “So what do you want from me?”

Kris looked at him. “I just want things to be like before. When you were the one person I could depend on for anything,”

Adam laughed. “Yeah, well, we’re living in after if you hadn’t noticed. Everything has changed. I mean, you’re the one who made the space."

“Only because you seemed to want it.”

Kris watched Adam’s face work for a minute, trying to come up with something. “I, how can we ever be normal, when I---“

Kris laughed. “Look. I’m not gonna say it’s not weird, but it’s not like it’s an entirely new discovery. I mean, I suspected about halfway through the tour something had changed. Especially in North Carolina.”

Kris smiled as Adam blushed a little. Remembering sitting on the bunk, the lengths of their legs touching, Adam’s face slightly leaning in, the caress of his breath on Kris’ lips. Kris couldn’t prove that Adam had been about to kiss him, but he was fairly sure that had been where Adam had been heading.

“So to say I was completely floored by knowing your feelings would be a lie. But I don’t have anyone, and well, I miss you man.”

Adam’s eyes were bright, but he didn’t speak for a minute. And even then it was no more than a whisper.

“I’d like that a lot. Because, even now, especially now, you’re the only one who really gets me. I miss that, too.”

Kris stood up, sat next to Adam. He pulled him close. “Now you’ll never be able to get rid of me.”

Adam laughed a little. “Now you are going to have to deal with me bossing you around all the time.”

Kris nodded. “That’s okay. I need it.”

Kris sat there relieved. He was tired, but he had regained a part of himself, regained some sort of footing. It was then he realized he had been in a battle with himself, trying to regain the person he was before, or at least some part of him. He knew he couldn’t go completely back, but for now he had a piece of it, if only for a moment.

“Adam?”

“Yeah?”

**I think I know of something you can help with.**

Kris was actually happy to be at dinner. Not just because meals were the most free times they had, but because something was getting accomplished. He saw Adam joking with Danny, nudging Joey and whispering in her ear. The guards gave him a look, but it was just Adam being Adam. Or so they thought. They forgot sometimes that controlling people with a voice didn’t necessarily involve commands, but could also be accomplished in suggestions. It was the cornerstone of the plan that was forming in Kris’ head. With the right people and the right timing, they might be able to get out of here with little trouble. Or so he hoped.

As far as Joey was concerned, there wasn’t much they could do about the drugs, but Danny could erase those effects any time he wanted. What Adam and Kris had decided on was that Danny would do that, but Joey would continue to act that way, exhibit all the symptoms, without the fog across her brain. She would familiarize herself with the showers in her cabin and the one with the rest of the idols. She could practice then, because the showers did not have cameras. It wasn’t much, it was terribly dangerous, but Kris was beginning to realize that nothing was going to get accomplished without any danger, without any risk.

_Subject # 1055: Desai, Anoop. Arrival 09/17/09. No visual symptoms, though prompting has revealed strange occurrences since late August. After observing 1055 breaking a lot of equipment as well as several unbreakable things, it seems 1055 has acquired ‘super’ strength. He is an interesting case in that he wasn’t uncooperative per se, but has developed an interesting motivator here at Base Zero, making him an excellent candidate for Base Three genetic testing._

_Subject #1054: Joy, Megan. Arrival 09/17/09. Symptoms include hovering in sleep as well as sometimes in the day. Subject has progressed to limited flight at this time. Another danger if she escapes, 1054 however has a tie to keep her here. Especially with the incentive given to her. Still may bear watching, but if 1054 progresses enough in her outside relationships, she may be a candidate for Base 3 as well, for use in Project Storm’s genetic research._

_Subject # 303: Barnson, Sarah. Arrival 09/01/09. Exhibited no symptoms. However, after extensive testing, 303 has revealed the ability to take on others’ appearances. This has not extended to taking on their voices or their abilities, so it has limited uses. However, the skill may be developed yet. 303 is one of two underage residents of Base Zero. We almost took 303 and 1059 to base four, however, both their abilities and maturity weighed in on this decision. 303's limitations seem to earmark her for transfer to either base one or three, probably one, to see if her abilities develop with age._

In a way, Adam was glad it was only April. Had all of this happened in the summer, he would have been fried by now. He had spent his last day at the hospital: and yes that was the official name of the building, everyone called it the hospital, even though it wasn’t exactly that. It was better than the bunker, but it was also a more permanent fixture. It was in Adam’s opinion, not only their way of continuing whatever experiments, but also a reminder that they were in fact freaks of nature and should be treated as such. Hospital days weren’t a forbidden topic, but no one really talked about them anyway. Adam was making his way to where there looked to be a lot of people: he had no assignment for today. Kris was sitting with Alli and another young girl, the only indication he was working at all was the sweat on his brow, the scrunched up concentration on his face.

Adam watched as Anoop helping with the heavy lifting, Megan above making fine adjustments. Adam wondered if the counselors knew exactly what was going on there, and remembered the cameras, and probably guessed yes. He had a sick feeling the counselors allowed it because of the possibilities of such a relationship. What also worried him was the permanency of the building before him. The cabins, as divided and cramped as they were, indicated a temporary stay. This building indicated long term projects, years as opposed to months. Although it didn’t surprise him. What was the government supposed to do with a bunch of real life comic book characters? Adam had come to accept that he might be here for the rest of his life (however long the counselors decided that would be.) He wanted to hope whatever escape plan they could form would work, but like the poem said hope was a thing with feathers, and feathers were fragile.

Adam smiled, watching Alli and her new friend chatter brightly. They were probably waiting to talk with Kris, to introduce her. The current plan was to get Kris as familiar with as many people they thought they could trust as they could. Then, with Emily’s help, they could possibly hold a community meeting of sorts. Then, maybe then, they could plan an escape. Until then….

The last month had been better. Obviously everything was still down, but now that Adam had Kris to lean on again, he had something to look forward to in his life. It wasn’t the same as before. It never could be. Before they had shared practically everything. Now, there was too much pain, too many memories to be that close. Adam felt a lot of guilt about it, more than he should. Kris had assured him that Adam’s feelings weren’t a problem, that Adam wasn’t so sure. He worried that it complicated their relationship, that it influenced their relationship. But when Adam felt the most alone, or when Kris woke up in the night, someone’s dreams waking him, there was someone there to hold onto, to laugh it off with. Speaking of laughter…

Matt had come by, sitting with Alli and her new friend. Sissy, he believed she had introduced herself as. Matt had been a blessing. He had always been the class clown, and he remained the same. Like Danny, he had had a decent time of it so far. Both felt guilt. Danny tried to make up for it by playing spy; Matt was also playing the spy angle, although a lot closer to the vest than Danny would ever manage to. Matt also made up for it by trying to make everyone laugh (and generally succeeding). Adam even chuckled as Kris began to hum Matt’s new favorite song. If he never heard “Great Balls of Fire” ever again, Adam would die a happy man.

Kris turned as everything on the building seemed to go into place.

“Matt, I swear to God.”

“What?”

Then Kris tilted his head. “Did Alli play with your hair too? I mean purple?”

Adam laughed as Matt yelped and ran to go find a mirror. Anoop and Megan had walked over, laughing too, leaning into each other slightly. Allison was experimenting in changing light (and therefore color) by messing with people’s hair. She had wanted to do uniforms, but the counselors had nixed that. So Adam’s hair was back to black (at least temporarily, like Allison said, hair grows). And the sheets in their cabin were varying shades of the rainbow. And so on.

“So who is this?” Kris looked at Sissy.

“This is Sarah, but everyone calls her Sissy.” Alli grinned as they shook hands.

“And how are we today?”

Anoop and Megan sat, used to the drill, striking up a conversation about the building. Adam was taken aback when Sissy looked around, faced Kris, and her face began to change, to melt. Suddenly there were two Megans, except Sissy spoke in her own voice. It seemed she had limitations, but if she was here, they would find some way for her to help. The more people they contacted, the more dangerous it became, but without any help, escape would be impossible. Adam looked at Sissy for a long time, something about her seemed wrong.

“How old are you, Sissy?”

She looked at him, swallowed. “Fifteen. And a half.”

Everyone was silent. The one thing about Area 51 was that there were no children. Allison and now Sissy were the only minors in the camp. But surely whatever had happened to them had happened to children. Which meant a different camp. And different worries.

Adam looked at Kris, and knew he was thinking the same thing. She wasn’t old enough; she couldn’t be a part of this.

“Wait, I know what you are thinking, and I understand. I do,” Sissy looked around; put her hand on the table. “But it’s my choice.”

Kris looked at her, his head tilted, slowly nodded. “All right.”

 Adam raised his eyebrows, said nothing. Whatever Sissy had said or shown Kris, it must have been convincing. He rubbed his face, realizing the day was half over, and he was exhausted. It was hard to focus at lunch, everyone jabbering on about their day, what was going on in camp. At least in their ever expanding group. The counselors’ seemed cautiously optimistic that this group had started to participate willingly, to emerge from the zombie-like state that most of the rest of the refugees still existed in. If only they knew the reason why. Adam shook his head, trying to focus.

**You ok?**

Adam turned, looking at Kris’ face, concern in his voice, on his face. **I just had a hospital day, so no.**

Kris threw him a wry half grin in understanding, squeezed Adam’s arm. **Thought as much.**

**So why are we letting the munchkin in? Has to be a reason even for you.**

**Her parents were two of the people shot. Earlier.**

Adam blinked. **Fuck.**

**Yeah. So if anyone has any right to be with us, it’s her.**

Kris turned and went back to talking to the others. Adam smiled a little. He turned to Scott, who was having a good day, began to talk to him. After lunch was over, most of the others went back to the mysterious new buildings; Adam retreated into the cabin, free for the rest of the day. He could have hung out at the site, but then he would have another terrible sunburn. Of course Danny could help out with that, and had in the past, but Adam wasn’t feeling the idea of putting himself in any more pain. As he went inside, guiding Scott carefully to his bunk for a nap, Adam was surprised to see Joey and Danny on the steps. Danny looked worried, sad.

“Hey man, what’s up?” Adam asked.

“Oh nothing. I had the day free, and was hanging out here, thought maybe I left my glasses here again.”

That was code for Danny had information he needed to share. By the look on Danny’s face, it was something Joey had seen. Between Danny, Matt, and Joey, they figured they knew most of what the counselors were planning, and when it was going to happen. But it seemed so dangerous. Adam laughed to himself. The whole thing was dangerous. They hadn’t told anyone, but Kris and Adam had agreed on one thing. If ever they were found out, he and Kris were going to shoulder the blame. Adam would admit to coercing everyone into following them, Kris would admit to being the point man, and hopefully everyone else would be left alone, at least to survive just a little longer. Adam had argued and still argued to let it just be him. Kris had a family to go home to; he had Katy to think of. Kris had disagreed; pointing out that Adam had his family too. That if he let Adam take all the blame, Kris could never live with himself. Adam knew there was no use fighting, but he had to continue to try. After all, it wasn’t just Katy that needed Kris, the camp needed him. Kris had once again become a focal point, although for different reasons.

Adam was the only one who fully realized that Kris had grown harder. It made him want to weep, to yell, to kick something. The one thing he had loved most was that no matter what, Kris had always held the most optimism, had been the one person who held out when things looked bad. And even if things were bad, Kris would shrug his shoulders and let it go. But that was before. Now…. Now Kris didn’t even turn a hair at the thought that tomorrow they might be found out, that tomorrow might be their last day. Now Kris held no illusions, no hope that he could ever go back home. It did give Adam optimism that Kris thought they had a sliver of a chance of escaping, but even then Adam wasn’t sure how Kris really felt about that. All he could do was keep him close, continue to be the friend that he needed.

They sat in the cabin, the nine of them, plus Emily, Sissy, Joey, five others. They hadn’t started a game yet, were talking of nothing in particular. Danny looked nervous. Kris was sitting next to Joey while talking to Danny about his glasses of all things, then nodded.

“So, wish we could stay, but Joey and I have another hospital day tomorrow, so, we’re turning in. Thanks for finding my glasses again Kris; I can’t believe I left them here. Again.”

The two left and Anoop began to deal cards to the small crowd gathered there. At first the counselors had been disapproving of gatherings like these until they realized that it increased cooperation as well as the fact that they never really talked about anything. Or so the counselors thought. Kris looked around the room as the weather came up (warmer every day), and leaned slightly into Emily. It wasn’t that Kris couldn’t broadcast to everyone; it was just that there was probably a lot of information. Adam paused as the scene played before him, superimposed over the real one in front of his eyes.

_The room is familiar; they have all been in the hospital before. This room, however, is Dr. Campbell’s office, and many of them recognize the decorations from when they visited Dr. Campbell in the bunker. Many of the refugees Adam included didn’t believe Dr. Campbell was a doctor at all. She was very military, and never acted like a doctor. Ever. Danny is just outside the room, Dr. Campbell and one of the ‘real’ doctors, Dr. Ellison talking to him softly. Joey isn’t supposed to see this, in fact the only reason the door is open at all is because no one considers her a threat because she is still on the drugs. Except she isn’t. Something on the wall catches her eye; it is a news article framed, new from the last time she was in here. She looks at the door, keeping her ear open, walks over. It was from an associated press release, the newspaper unknown, and the article reviewing the government’s actions regarding the quarantine of Ohio last year, how there were still people who had not been heard from, that there were worried family members still waiting to hear from victims of the strange mutation of the swine flu. (Adam laughs a little at this; a mutation of the swine flu was the best they could come up with? Might as well have announced a zombie attack.) “Furthermore, executives at 19 Entertainment, producers of American Idol, have been very vocal these past months on behalf of the season eight contestants’ families, all of whom have yet to receive a body, all of whom are still waiting to mourn their losses properly….”  Joey backs away, the voices stopped,_

**The rest is pretty inconsequential.**

Everyone turned to Kris, and then looked at Scott. **I didn’t include him in there. I’m not sure he could handle it.**

**But if they think…**

Adam turned when he heard Michael’s voice. That was why Kris had sat next to Emily- because he wanted everyone to participate. It was a new trick. Looking at everyone’s faces, especially Alli, Mike and Kris the implications of what Joey had seen came through. To the world, they were dead: to their families, they were dead…

The card game had paused, everyone silent, then Matt laid down a card, “Uno, bitches!” and they all laughed nervously, unsure of how to continue, how to deal with this news. Adam knew. He thought that the rest of them might too. After all if their families all thought them dead or dying, then what did they have to lose?

Later, when most of them lay in bed, awake, asleep, Adam watched as Mike and Kris sat on the porch, speaking in low tones. Adam knew what the conversation was. Mike was trying to get Kris to hope, but Kris was right this time: all Katy knew was that Kris was dead, had been for months, as far as they could tell. Mike walked away, shaking his head, giving Adam a small shrug as he passed into the cabin. Adam walked over, sat down, and said nothing. He put his arm around Kris, pulled him close. Kris stared into the desert, his eyes wet with unshed tears, his face set in grief.

Adam knew he was the wrong person for his moment, the wrong person to hold Kris up. For as much as he felt Kris’ pain, there was a petty and contemptuous part of him that was happy. A part that saw an opening, a part of him that made Adam sick to his stomach. A part of himself that Adam wanted to push back, hide away. Because it wasn’t necessary now, it was unneeded.

**Maybe when we get out of here, she’ll see you and it will be like the best day of your fucking life.**

Kris looked at Adam, gave him a half smile, a broken smile, one that made Adam begin to break, begin to cry. **Yeah, well, you go on thinking that, because Katy was before. And anything that was before… anything that was before is gone now.**

“That’s not true,” Adam whispered. “All of us, we’re before.”

Kris shook his head. “Yeah, well, even that has changed and you know it.”

Adam couldn’t quite read the look in Kris’ eyes, but he understood a little. The dynamic had changed, even though the nine of them were together now, they had begun to separate nonetheless. Scott was falling apart, his days in the hospital becoming more frequent. Matt, despite his outward happiness, was becoming strained trying to keep the fiction of befriending the counselors. Danny, having found a cause, had become purposeful, less goofy, less fun. Allison had grown a million years, still her crazy self, but something had been lost, something she couldn’t even share with her brothers. Mike, the lone holdout, still hoped he could go home and everything would be the same. Anoop and Megan had held onto each other, had formed a smaller circle, one none of them had seen before, but understood nonetheless. Adam, well he was less sure of everything, almost back to the person he had been right after high school, the loner, the person he had hated most. Kris… Kris had become hard, almost too hard. Adam wondered when he would break, if he would break. But for now, he held him close, offering what support he could. Because now, now they had nothing to lose…

_Observations, Project Storm, Base Zero, May 2010. Progress on building Base Zero into Base One has reached optimum levels. While many of the subjects have not been classified into their base assignments, we feel that the timing is perfect for moving subjects into separate bases. Some of the subjects have begun to cooperate, however, there is a consensus that subjects1052-1060 should be separated as best as possible. 1053 and 1060 continue to be our best allies, but the rest of the “fellowship” as the other subjects have termed them remains noncommittal at best. After much review, it is best to move 1054, 1055, 1058, 1059 to Base Three for continued genetic testing, with possible moves to Base One if said testing is inconclusive and/or a failure. 1052 and 1057 should be moved to Base Four, in hopes that separation and enclosure may turn them finally to our side. If this fails, assignment to Base Three should follow. After use there, termination is recommended. As is recommended for 1056. As for the other refugees, assignments are as follows…_

Kris knew Matt was planning something. However, the problem with time was that people had developed good blocks. Hell, Kris had even helped them develop those blocks, trying to get the refugees to finally trust him. Whatever it was, Kris knew it had to do with the counselors, with how they seemed to be categorizing everyone, how there was a feeling of change in the air.

Since they had found out about what was going on outside, his determination had increased. It was surprising how quickly he had recovered from the news, but Kris knew he had realized he wasn’t going back home a long time ago. How could he return to Katy when so much had changed inside him, when even without other’s dreams he woke shaking and terrified? Katy was strong, but she deserved better than the broken man he had become. And he had accepted that. Some of the others hadn’t, some people still hoped, and maybe it could work for them. But Kris knew that home was a distant memory from before, and whatever happened, that tomorrow was uncertain, tomorrow was different.

It was the last week in May. Kris smiled. This time last year was the happiest of his life. This time it was hard to smile, especially with Matt becoming withdrawn and sullen. Even Alli, who was sunshine embodied, seemed down. Everyone tried to get Matt to say what he knew, what was going on, but he just shook his head, saying he was in a mood. It was in this week they had finalized a plan of sorts, a way to overcome their captors in one single night. It was complex, involving many things going right all at once. But it was something. Alli didn’t know of their secret pact with Anoop to keep her out of the worst of the fighting. Scott… Scott knew nothing, except that he had a lot more people watching out for him lately.

It was the morning of the twentieth the plan went to shambles. Kris was sitting in the cabin, laying down, resting away a low grade headache when Alli came running.

“Kris, its Matt! He-“

**He’s surrounded by guards and something is going on and Adam is trying to talk him out of it and-**

Kris was up, running after Alli. Of all the stupid things for Matt to do, pissing off the guards was the stupidest. Matt was needed, was integral to their plan. Whatever had been eating at him had obviously broken, and Kris cursed himself silently for not trying to break Matt’s barrier, for doing what was right instead of what was necessary.

A large group of refugees had gathered outside one of the far cabins, held back by guards and counselors both. Kris managed to worm his way to the front, saw “Dr.” Campbell at the front, Emily next to her, yelling words into the cabin. Matt would yell back, and Dr. Campbell would shake her head, and Adam was being held back, as he yelled saying he could help, he could get Matt to come out. Dr. Campbell shook her head.

“No, Mr. Giraud has chosen his path.”

Kris caught Adam’s eyes and shook his head. He was listening for Matt, hoping for some sort of message.

“Mr. Giraud, either come out or we are coming in! And you won’t like that!”

“I’m not coming! You can’t just shoot me and bury me!”

And then it came, short and fast and quiet, just enough for him to hear. **Better shield them, man, it’s getting hot in here….**

And Kris knew then Matty was going out his way, that something had tipped his hand, that he had been forced to play this card, and it was up to him to protect everyone else. With all his strength, he threw up a wall of air just as the cabin in front of them exploded in flame. Even with the warning, with the shield, many of them fell back, Kris included.

For a moment everything stopped, the cabin aflame, everyone on the ground, their faces ranging from shocked to pained to angry. The guards stopped for a moment, shocked, but their training kicked in, and the group found themselves herded away, gathered in the meal hall. Kris looked back once, saw another group of guards alternatively watering the cabin down and throwing dust onto the flames, Matt’s grave a damp puddle of wood and ash.

Dr. Campbell stood in front of them, her face a mask of anger.

“Today what you have witnessed was a shame. Mr. Giraud was very talented, had many things to offer the world. However, he chose to leave this community his way. Why, I do not know.”

Kris grimaced. He was fairly sure she knew exactly why.

“However, I would like to remind you, while we are striving for your eventual return to the real world (Adam raised his eyebrows at this), there are still many steps to be taken first. Now, if any of you choose to follow Mr. Giraud’s example and try to escape, understand we will be forced to use harsh measures. If you continue to cooperate, then everything will be just fine. Now, stay here while I go deal with his mess, then you will be dismissed for the rest of the day to reflect upon the example he has given you.”

Kris simply shook his head, the pain secondary to the grief. Alli was sobbing uncontrollably; there were few dry eyes at all in the room. He sat himself next to Emily, doing the only thing he could think of. They couldn’t mourn him properly, not without music.

And a memory came, the sound of Matty’s voice, bluesy and happy echoed in their ears, countered the seeming silence of the room. Those who could hear it had a ghost of a smile, their feet twitching. It was enough.

 __  
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain  
Too much love drives a man insane  
You broke my will, oh what a thrill  
Goodness gracious great balls of fire  
I learned to love all of Hollywood money  
You came along and you moved me honey  
I changed my mind, looking fine  
Goodness gracious great balls of fire  
You kissed me baba, woo.....it feels good  
Hold me baba, learn to let me love you like a lover should  
Your fine, so kind  
I'm a nervous world that your mine mine mine mine-ine  
I cut my nails and I quiver my thumb  
I'm really nervous but it sure is fun  
Come on baba, you drive me crazy

Goodness gracious great balls of fire  
Well kiss me baba, woo-oooooo....it feels good  
Hold me baba  
I want to love you like a lover should  
Your fine, so kind  
I got this world that your mine mine mine mine-ine  
I cut my nails and I quiver my thumb  
I'm real nervous 'cause it sure is fun  
Come on baba, you drive me crazy  
Goodness gracious great balls of fire  
I say goodness gracious great balls of fire...oooh..  


Adam stared at the bed; the impromptu concert in their heads had been interrupted when Kris’ nose had begun to bleed, when he had fainted. Luckily, they had been able to blame it on the earlier events, to let him come back to the cabin. Adam sat on the bed, his face in his hands. Kris had opened his eyes, given him a crooked smile, and sat up. **Guess I was overworking there a little.**

**That’s an understatement if I ever heard one.**

Kris laughed a little. Adam turned to him. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

Kris nodded. It was then Adam became fully aware of how close they were, again aware of the length of his thigh resting against Kris’, his whole body leaning into Adam’s. He began to shift when Kris stopped him. **Wait**

Adam tilted his head. **What?**

Kris bit his lip, looking away for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. Adam wasn’t sure what to expect, what Kris was thinking. Then Kris turned his head back, and something inside Adam shifted, told him he should move, that this should not be happening, that there was no reason for Kris to be moving forward, no reason for his hand to be cupping Adam’s face, for their lips to be pressed together, for Kris to part his ever so slightly, for his own to respond, to taste just for a moment—

Adam stood, turned to the small window. “Don’t.”

He knew Kris was staring, didn’t have to look to see the confusion, could hear it in his whisper, “Adam.”

Adam turned, the day, the months of restraint and confusion wearing down, snapping. “Don’t fuck with me, okay? Don’t use me either. I can’t deal with that.”

“I—“

“No you listen here; I don’t know what’s going on in your head. You do mine. I know that’s not fair, but that’s the way it is. And I just don’t know, okay? I don’t want you to use me as an excuse, for whatever, for reasoning your way out of hope for whatever. Just don’t. Please. You know how I feel and it isn’t fair.”

 

Kris looked at him, his eyes flashing a thousand things that Adam didn’t understand. He stood, began to walk toward Adam, and shook his head, walked out the door. Adam stared at the door, sitting slowly on the floor. Things had been so good for so long he had almost forgotten his feelings. Well, he had forgotten how potent they were. What the hell had Kris been thinking? What the hell had he been thinking, letting it happen? Adam closed his eyes, rubbing his burning eyes. As always, the timing in his life was completely off. And he had snapped, because, well because it was _Kris._ He was married, and there was no reason for Kris to—

He heard someone come in the main room, stepped out. It was Sissy, escorting Scott,

“Ha, Adam is too here! Where’s Kris?”

Adam bit back his first thought, to say that he didn’t care where the fuck Kris had gone. “I’m here. You off to bed, too?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Everyone’s starting to break off, go to bed. It’s hard to really say goodbye when they don’t want you to admire him, to remember him as someone good, you know?”

Adam nodded. “I understand. Hey, things will get better.”

Sissy shrugged. After all, she knew where Matt had figured in their escape plans. Adam took Scott’s hand. He was holding steady most days, still not the same Scott as before, but who was the same? Then Adam saw what Scott was wearing. It was one of Matt’s fedoras that one of the guards had sneaked through, that the counselors had looked away from, because Matt had been one of them, well, almost. Adam was surprised it had survived the day, considering how they thought of Matt now.

“Hey, Scott, let’s go lie down. Want to keep the hat on?”

Scott shook his head. “It’s Matt’s hat. Matt went away today. Matt told me to give his hat to you. To Kris. So you can have it now if you want.”

Adam stepped back. Matt had trusted _Scott_ with something? Then, the more he thought about it, it made sense. After all, the counselors all knew how unreliable any information from Scott was. Adam took the hat in his hand, tucked Scott in, sat on his own bunk. He held the hat in his hand. Now what kind of information was a hat? He twirled it in his hands, flipped it around, and saw the writing on a piece of paper on the inside. _They’re separating us in two weeks. Scott scheduled for termination. They are too close to me. Sorry for messing up the plan. Matt._

Adam laughed, put the hat in his lap. He walked to the bathroom, and then pretended to accidentally drop the hat in the toilet, ruining the message. He stood there for a moment, when the door slammed in, and Kris stumbled in. He was almost white, holding something in, as he weaved. Adam walked over to him, balanced him as he fell to his knees. He looked the other way as Kris threw up. He waited patiently for Kris to stand, as was the usual with one of Kris' episodes, then he looked down, saw him shaking violently. Adam knelt down, offering a washcloth.

“Probably shouldn’t have gotten up so fast.”

Kris shook his head, not looking up. Adam shrugged. If he wasn’t wanted that was fine. He was only willing to go so far. And then he heard Kris’ breathing, realized that it wasn’t an episode that Kris was sobbing, his endless reserve finally broken. Adam moved next to him, pulling him close. It didn’t matter what had happened, Kris still needed someone, and Adam was here.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Kris looked up, the misery in his eyes too much to take, the crack in his voice a thousand miles wide. “I can’t. Not. Not now. Not yet. After. After.”

Adam nodded. Whatever it was, it was bad enough. He held Kris close, stroking his back, humming softly. Now that the wall had broken, everything Kris had been holding back was coming now, a rush of tears and hitching breaths, small sounds of pain that pierced his heart. And then it came.

**So sorry. Shouldn’t have, I, I, I don’t know what—**

“Shut the hell up, already,” Adam closed his eyes, trying not to remember the feel of Kris’ lips against his. Trying to let him let go of whatever he needed to without clouding it up with any other feelings. He lay his head on top of Kris’ head, just held on. The shaking had stopped, the room had become silent.

“Adam?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t freak on me, ok?”

“All right.”

Kris sat up, still holding himself in Adam’s arms. Adam knew then what was happening, just as it had happened before. And still he didn’t stop it. Kris leaned forward, pressed his lips against Adam’s, this time barely brushing against them, a whispering touch. Then Kris kissed his cheek, leaned to Adam’s ears.

“If you ever think I would ever use you, you must have me mistaken for someone else.” He leaned back.

Adam looked at him carefully, lifted his hand to lean against Kris cheek, to trace his jaw. “Timing is terrible.” His thumb brushed against Kris bottom lip, then he sighed as Kris leaned forward, curled himself into Adam’s arms.

**Just for a minute. I just need one more minute.**

A minute turned into half an hour on the cold tiles, nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears, their breathing, and occasional snore from the other room. It could have easily been all night, if not for the return of Allison and the others. Adam reluctantly crawled into his bed, knowing his thoughts had probably betrayed him so many times, knowing that the path he had chosen was only going to end in misery, that even with what had happened today, that Kris was still not his, and never could be. That without Matt, a new plan was going to have to form, that it would be more time here, more time to wear them down, especially now with Matt dead.

_In speaking with 1053 since the incident, we have amended our initial program of separation of subjects 1051-1060. It seems 1052 has progressed further than indicated in testing. A definite transfer to Base Four is recommended, with isolation and reconditioning. It was not without some risk that 1053 gave us this information, and it is unfortunate he could not continue his information gathering for us. However, he has volunteered to help gather the subjects for relocation, so we take it as a positive sign that more of them will come to our side with time. Also considering 1053’s defection, we are now transferring his case file from subjects to recruits, so all files pertaining to 1053 will now be labeled under Recruit 1: Giraud, Matthew. 05/19/10_

If Kris Allen had learned nothing two days ago, it was that sometimes all the planning in the world meant nothing. Still reeling from Matt’s death, the consequences of his actions, the news he had received when he had run out of the cabin, away from Adam’s anger, Kris rubbed his eyes. It was somewhat ironic that it was the twenty first of May and he was exhausted. Even more so than a year ago. Then he felt the weight of the world because so much was expected of him, so many had expected him to fade away. Now the weight of the world was on him because if he went away, all hope was lost. But without Matt, their escape plan had lost one of its key components. Luckily today was another day off, rest proscribed by the doctor’s after the work he had done the day Matt had died. Which gave him plenty of time to think.

Which was a problem in of itself. He still tried to reconcile that he had _kissed_ Adam. And it had felt right. Kris cursed himself again, because all these months he had used Adam to lean on without once considering the implications. He had certainly known Adam’s feelings, it was his own that had been murky, untested. After all, he was married, so any feelings outside of that were to be ignored, to be put away. It was enough to make him cry, except that acceptance was the last stage in grief, and Kris had accepted losing Katy so long ago, the thought of her only brought a familiar ache, a crushing knowledge that he had been a part of something once and it was over. All these months he had been fighting himself and yesterday… Yesterday he had almost fucked it up.

He was comfortable being friends with Adam. Adam was always the one person he had been able to talk to, even now, even when they couldn’t share everything, at least there was one person who understood what it was to be isolated, to be different among the most different of all the people. But Kris had realized one thing last night: in a way he was using Adam, at least to hold onto some shred of hope. He knew he had become a different person, and Adam was the one tie he had to who he was once.

But somehow it had changed. Kris couldn’t pinpoint it. Not exactly. Maybe it had begun last May, when Adam had held him tight and told him he deserved it. Maybe before then, when they had first met. Maybe later, sometime on tour, when Kris had realized that Adam really loved him, that maybe the attraction wasn’t one sided. That one moment in North Carolina, when it had been Adam who had backed away, when Kris had begun to want, just a little bit. Maybe it was the first day out of the bunker, when Adam had caught him and held him close. Maybe it was the day Adam and he had sat laughing at Allison as she goofily danced for the first time in months. It didn’t matter when, because it had changed, whether good or bad, they both knew it had.

Kris sighed, because there just wasn’t any time. He couldn’t remember ever not being tired, not having a dull throb behind his eyes. He knew he was overworking himself, but he faintly remembered the time in the bunker when he had been able to do something big, when it had hurt like hell, but the doctors had looked at him with slight fear in their eyes. Kris had never wanted to be that sort of person, but if he could achieve it just so they could leave, so he could finally sleep the whole night through…

It was like any other day, warmer than yesterday, still full of dust and wind. There had been rain, maybe. Everyone moved like clockwork, the routine so ingrained, even after the disturbance, nothing had changed. Kris knew he had a week and a half before things changed, a week and a half to come up with some way of saving everyone. Or at least getting everyone else out.

Adam was on a hospital day today, so Kris kept mostly to himself, sometimes laughing a little with Alli, but for the most part, the whole camp was still in mourning, had lost a little hope. Every once in a while someone would glance his way, but Kris had nothing to say, no new plans to give them. Everything had fallen apart in one moment, and he had nothing to give them.

As dusk came again, the dread of sleep deep in his chest, Adam still hadn’t returned. Hospital days sometimes turned into two, sometimes they just ran late. So Kris waited. Then it began. He heard something in the distance, faint pop, perhaps a shout…

**Kris! They’re early!**

He turned seeing Joey in the doorway, holding Emily. He froze, knowing that Matt had sacrificed himself for little if he didn’t at least try to get the plan going. He nodded, grabbed onto Emily, gave the signal.

**TELL HER ABOUT IT…**

The first line of the song was to wake those who knew, to begin the evacuation of the refugees, to begin the distraction, to begin the end. Kris looked at Joey.

“Do you think you can handle two of us?”

Joey shook her head. “It will have to be one at a time.”

Kris nodded, ignoring the movement of guards, saying a silent prayer as light began to flash, Allison trying to both blind and confuse the other side. “All right, Emily first.”

Joey nodded, and the two disappeared. Kris looked down the street again as Mike and Megan carefully ushered Scott out of the cabin. Anoop and Allison stood with him; Megan had flown off to check the meeting point, to help secure it. Danny was probably with the soldiers, playing the other side for right now, trying to give them just a little time. Joey came back, grabbed Kris, and the dizziness passed as soon as they appeared by the cabin closest to the bunker.

“I think they might be around the corner.”

Kris nodded, smiled as he saw Adam crouched against the wall.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Joey caught me as I was walking home. I guess they moved the date up.”

Kris shrugged. “Is Danny there?”

“Yeah and there’s a new guard, too. Or at least I don’t recognize this one from the back.”

Kris shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s get this party started.”

He grabbed Emily’s shoulder again.

**DON’T STOP BELIEVIN**

That was the signal that the distraction had started, that they should hurry, because time was short. Unfortunately, there was no way to get to the refugees in the bunker-if there were any. If they could succeed here, then maybe…

Kris watched as the team peeled around the corner, waited with Adam, their appearance the last surprise for Dr. Campbell, who they had been playing for the last month, who they had been talking to about joining up, switching sides.

“Ok, don’t freak.”

Kris raised his eyebrows, found himself pinned against the wall, Adam’s lips pressed urgently against his own, his tongue parting them, his hands in Kris's hair, running down his back. Kris was unsure if the soft moan was his, could only hold onto Adam’s shirt. He was barely breathing when Adam pulled away, grinned wickedly.

“Just in case.”

Kris watched him lope around the corner, touched his lips, and didn’t catch the cry of warning before he turned the corner.  Everyone had stopped, seeing the gun held to Danny’s head, seeing the new guard holding it, his face grim, set.

“Matty?”

“Ah, 1052 how nice of you to join us! Now, don’t get too close to anyone, I’ve heard you like to talk to people. Now hold your hands up.” Kris did so slowly, ignoring Dr, Campbell, staring at Matt, who wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

To say his heart was broken, his spirit lost, would be to understate his feelings. All of sudden the date change made sense. Matt had played his part to perfection. Kris closed his eyes.

“See, 1052, while you think you have been fooling me with your talk of joining our side, Mr. Giraud here has been telling me some interesting things. Like about your new powers. About your escape plans. About everything.”

Kris shook his head, too numb to speak. Alli’s face said everything he could ever want to.

“Nothing to say? Well, once we’ve found the tunnel, they’ll be plenty of time for you to realize you made the wrong choice.”

The tunnel? Everyone swung to look at Matt, their shock probably appearing to be betrayal. It was then Kris heard the voice, heard the music.

**Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me…. Goodness gracious great balls of fire…**

Kris didn’t move, except to open his eyes. Matt was concentrating, and Kris now knew why. He breathed carefully, waiting for Matt to give him another sign, waiting for just the right time.

**Five… four… three… two…. NOW!**

**EVERYONE DOWN!**

Kris dived for Emily, barely catching her ankle.

**SECONDS, HOURS, SO MANY DAYS**

Kris smiled a little at the signal for trouble, hoped that enough of them had gotten away, that somehow it would end well. He lay on the ground as Matt threw a wall of flame between them and the guards, grinned as they all stood, nodding. The one thing he hadn’t counted on was a jumpy guard. After the first shot rang out, chaos. Later he would remember that it was like swimming, sometimes things would be slow, sometimes, it was a rush of images. He saw Joey flitting in and out, watched as Anoop carried a protesting Allison out of harm’s way. He heard her screaming, shouting it was unfair. He watched as Adam came behind a guard, tackled him, whispering in his ear, and the guard’s face contorted as he calmly walked to the building and sat. Kris turned, watched as Danny knelt next to Emily, who was holding her side, loopily grinning. He turned again as Matt laughed, yelling something at Dr. Campbell, who at least had the presence of mind to lay down and stay down. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Adam fall to the ground, his heart leaping. And that’s when it came back to him, watching as Danny lept over a guard, leaning down, seeing the guards fan out, hearing distant gunfire, Dr. Campbell barking orders, lights flashing, a dozen fires burning around him, it rose up in him, boiled over, and everyone froze. Everything stopped.

It wasn’t like Missy, who could actually stop time for a moment; it was as if everyone was working through slush, except for himself. He ignored the look of surprise on Dr. Campbell’s face, held onto the feelings that kept him here, kept whatever well he was drawing from deep.

**EVERYONE CALM DOWN FOR A MINUTE.**

Kris ignored everyone’s wince, well the beginning of the wince in the strange soup he had created, knelt next to Danny and Adam, and carefully excluded them from the bubble he had created. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, he just did it. Later he would try to repeat it, without much success. Danny looked up, as did Adam.

“Fine, just tripped over my own damn feet,” Adam whispered.

Danny shook his head. “Nope, got grazed, just a little.”

Kris began to breathe again, still holding on.

Danny looked around. “What the hell?”

Kris gritted his teeth. “Well, good news is everyone has stopped. Bad news is I don’t know how long I can hold it.”

Adam stood looked around. “Well, I guess it's time to work my magic then, huh?”

Kris nodded. He sat; watching as Adam walked over to the group of guards, cleared his throat. “Here’s the deal. I hate telling people what to do, but this is what is going to happen. You will lay down your guns; you will go sit quietly until we decide what to do with you. There will be no heroics, no suicides, none of that.”

Adam looked at Kris, shrugged. Kris whispered.  “If I let them go, it becomes harder to hold the rest. Get it all done. Come back.”

Adam nodded, looked at Danny. “You take care of him, ok?”

Kris watched as Adam loped to the next guard began to repeat the process. Danny sat next to him, silent, seeing Kris was concentrating on just holding on. And it was hard to hold on, because the initial fear had subsided, but the anger, well that was easy to hold onto. Kris ignored the lights flashing in front of his eyes, the pounding that began to ring in his ears. He brought up the memories he had buried, focused on that pain instead. He barely registered the touch on his shoulder, blinked as Adam looked at him, his face tired.

“It’s done.”

Kris stood slowly, holding onto Adam for balance. He registered that in the two, three hours Adam had been gone, everyone had moved perhaps an inch. He nodded, let go, watched as the plan, although changed, unfolded perfectly. The wild look on Dr. Campbell’s face was permanently saved for a happier time.

“Guess I better give the all clear,” he whispered.

Adam shook his head. “I think maybe people might figure it out.”

“Just in case anyone gets any ideas.”

That was their one worry: retribution. Those who were escorting refugees had been instructed to keep them away until morning, that the all clear only meant that it had worked that they could bring down their guard, could relax for the first time.

Kris sighed, concentrated one last time. **WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS…**

The pain sharpened, and Kris fell to one knee, feeling blood run down from his nose, hearing Adam shout distantly for Danny, felt the world go sideways as his face hit the dirt. He wondered if he had finally triggered an aneurysm, a stroke, heard Danny whisper something to Adam, he couldn’t hear over the ringing in his ears,  could just feel himself being lifted up, being carried, could just hear the whisper in his mind as everything went dark- **just a little longer. Hold on please.**

 _From AP new report, New Mexico-_ _Strange songs in the night?_ _Residents of a sleepy village outside of New Mexico insist they heard snippets of songs last night, all of them agreeing on the exact songs and the exact lines. While many are calling it a collective hoax, psychic Sylvia Brown has been quoted as saying that a ghost from the military’s secret past (after all this is Roswell) is trying to lead them to Area 51 so we can finally find out the truth. However, local sheriffs are dismissing it as teens driving around with their car radio turned up too loud. For full story…_

 Adam finally lay down in the early hours in the morning, too tired and worried to think of what people would say if they found him lying next to Kris, watching him sleep, watching for any sign. Seeing him fall to the ground, seeing the pain etched on his face: Adam tried not to hold on too tightly. He had no claim, but for now, he had blocked anyone from coming in, had lain next to Kris without hesitation, his worry keeping him up all night, or what was left of the night.

“Adam?”

He looked down. Kris was blinking, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yeah?”

“How long have I been out?”

“About most of the day. I think it’s just past one.”

“You think?”

“Haven’t been out much.”

Kris finally looked at him, saw where he was, and gave him a small grin. “I see.”

Adam blushed, didn’t move. “How’s your head?”

“Still hurts. But then again the last time I did that much, it hurt for about a week and a half. Can I have some water?”

Adam nodded, grabbed a bottle from the stash he had brought here. Kris lay still, carefully drinking while still lying down. He sat on the edge of the bed, was ready to go when Kris grabbed his hand.

“Tell me what happened.”

“Kris.”

“Can’t read you, too tired. Please. I need to know.”

Adam swallowed, put his other hand on top of Kris’. “Well right now, team members are getting the soldiers settled into the new housing. Apparently that was to be Base One, a place for those people whose talents were still in flux but not read to move elsewhere. Haven’t gotten around to interviews yet, really not sure where to start.”

“Campbell. She’s the key.”

“Yeah I know. Anyway, the rest of the refugees are still in shock, but we’re thinking of going down to the bunker again to sort records.”

“Again? What happened the first time?”

Adam shut his eyes, wishing he could erase the memory, so that Kris wouldn’t see it, wishing it hadn’t happened at all.

“Well, we went looking for others. We found three alive. Guess anyone who was left in the bunker was too volatile, too weak, basically not necessary anymore.”

Kris swore softly. “Damn it. Shit. Fuck.”

“I know. It was real hard to keep people away from the guards then, but I’m not sure who ordered what, and frankly, even though they don’t deserve it, I’m thinking a public trial sounds great.”

“All right tell me what happened last night. After.”

Adam swallowed again. “Kris.”

“You’re going to end up telling me one way or another, might as well get it done with now.”

Adam nodded. “Besides the fifty-two dead in the bunker? We lost six others in the fight, two guards. Emily….”

“Emily? Don’t tell me…”

Adam nodded, “Don’t you dare blame yourself.”

“Too late.”

“Matt’s fairly inconsolable over the people in the bunker. He was told they were going to be moved. Danny’s a wreck because he couldn’t save any of them, even though he probably saved more than his fair share of lives last night. Allison’s pissed about how we took her out of it. But we promised to include her tomorrow, so she’s just pouty now.”

Kris nodded. “Tomorrow?”

“We can wait if you want to come.”

“No. I’m not going back.”

The mix of anger and fear took Adam aback. He had no good memories of the bunker, but whatever had happened to Kris…

“How’s Scotty?”

Adam shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s having a good day. Maybe once we get him home, once he sees his family…”

Kris laughed bitterly. “Well, we’ll see about that.”

Adam tilted his head. “What now?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow. After you’ve been down there. It won’t be as bad then.”

Adam nodded, worried that even now, when they had won, Kris still was bitter, angry. He began to rise, to let Kris sleep.

“Don’t go. Please. Can you stay again? Except maybe this time you’ll actually sleep?”

Adam grinned. Nodded. “Well maybe if a certain someone hadn’t almost gotten himself killed.”

Kris half-smiled, closed his eyes again. Adam sat there, even skipping dinner; lay down next to him, kissing his forehead softly before drifting off. The next morning he woke to find Kris grinning at him.

“What?”

“You have dirty dreams.”

Adam stared, swallowed. Blushed. Laughed. He laughed hard, probably harder than was needed, but this Kris; this was the Kris he remembered.

“I guess that means you had dirty dreams.”

Kris turned Adam’s favorite shade of pink, just a little mix of embarrassed and chagrined.

“Are you still going today?”

Adam nodded. “You sure about not coming?”

Kris nodded, winced slightly. “Never more sure of anything in my life.”

Adam sighed. “All right. Ummm, if you need anything…”

“I’m well enough to walk around, just as long as I don’t make any sudden moves.”

“Okay. See you later. Maybe when I get back we can discuss these dirty dreams.”

Kris half smiled shook his head. “Trust me, when you come back…” Adam couldn’t read the look that flashed across his face, knew that Kris was holding so much in, that he knew more than he was letting on, that whatever was in the bunker, it was more terrible than he could imagine. But he had to know.

“Kris. I’ll see you.”

Adam forced himself up, walked out the door. The sun was just rising, but the temperature was already too high. He saw the others waiting, twenty of them in all. It was a mix of people he did and didn’t know.

“Kris not coming?”

Adam shook his head. “I get the feeling maybe Kris already knows what’s down there. Or at least some of it.”

“Guess that makes you fearless leader,” Matt nudged him.

“Why is that?”

Most of the group laughed at his confusion. “Seriously? After everything, I mean the two people in this camp who are in charge are you and Kris man. We owe you two everything.”

Adam stared at him. He had never thought of himself as a leader, just someone who was doing what was right. Doing what had to be done. He was pretty sure Kris felt the same way. Well, if they wanted him to be in charge….

“Ok, here are the rules. We’re out of there at the end of the day. Whatever we find, we share. No more secrets. And most importantly, no matter what we find, it’s still us against them. Especially knowing Matty and Danny had to pretend to play both sides. That they did what they had to do to help us.”

Everyone nodded. As the group passed others, Adam realized everyone knew what was happening. They hadn’t come up with any concrete plan, any idea of how to start rejoining the rest of the world. The key to what had happened was in the bunker, so that’s where he was going.

The hallways were all too familiar, slightly darkened, echoing in that sort of horror movie way right before the music ratchets up and the killer is revealed. Adam shivered, remembering the feelings from yesterday, the horror at what people could do, the pain of all the loss. They bypassed most of the upper levels, as they were rooms, labs, observation areas. They split into two when they found the files, Adam turning away as the others began to page through them. He smiled a little; trust the military to have everything neatly filed, and probably in triplicate. Soon enough, after enough rooms, Adam found himself still wandering when he came upon the door marked Surveillance, Clearance Code Gamma Only. He grinned, remembering the stuttering look of horror as Dr. Campbell told him the code. Adam hated himself a little then for forcing it out of her, but compared to what she had done, one code was not the end of the world to him.

The room was full of screens, showing every possible view of camp. Adam remembered the cameras, but still whistled appreciatively at the angles and views of the ones he hadn’t seen, the level of surveillance. He recognized cabins, bathrooms (not the showers themselves), everything. He realized the machines were still recording, shrugged. He wandered into the next room, stopped in his tracks.

He soon realized the depth of the experiment in this room. The room was full of DVD cases, each clearly marked with a date and numbers following. He tilted his head, remembering he had been given a number, remembering Dr. Campbell referring to them by their numbers. He wandered until he saw one with his number… and also Kris’s. And someone else’s. He picked it up, wondering what it was, the date still from his bunker time. He went to put it in the machine when he heard Allison.

“Adam?”

He turned; saw the look on her face. He had known it was a mistake for her to be here, known she shouldn’t have come. Her eyes were full, and she held a file in her hand.

“Alli…what’s wrong?”

“Danny found records from where they… terminated people. And I found this…”

She shoved the paper in his face, and he looked down. _Subject 1052 continues to be our most valuable asset as far as categorizing the others and keeping them in line. 1052’s access to their dreams is especially useful. He continues to resist in waking hours, but that is no matter. As we discovered last week, his attachment to fellow subjects, especially 1057 and 1058 can be of use in keeping him in line…_

Everything clicked into place. Adam looked into Allison’s eyes and knew she understood too. He looked at the video in his hand, swallowed.

“Adam, they, they used him.”

Adam smiled gently, held her close. “They used us all, honey.”

“Yeah, but, I mean, I mean he—“

Adam nodded, his own eyes burning. His eyes went back to the video. He pressed play, and wished he’d never come down here at all.

_A voice is heard on the camera, Adam thinks it is Dr. Ellison, he can’t be sure. “Subject 1052, October 20 th, 2009, testing. As you can see, 1052 is in this room here.” The camera pans to a window looking down into a room. There is a small figure curled into a ball, hooked up to all sorts of monitors. Mostly measuring brain waves. “Over in this room,” the camera moves to the left, “we have subject 1057.” Adam recognizes himself. “And also in this room”, the camera pans to the right, “we have subject 1058.” Even without her trademark magenta hair. Allison is immediately recognizable. “Tonight we are trying two subjects at once, to see if 1052 picks up on the closest dreams, or the most intense ones. Both 1057 and 1058 have had intense sessions today, so this should be interesting.”_

_Adam wants to shove Allison out right then, wants to get her out, but he can’t move. The camera focuses back on Kris’ sleeping form, the doctor making comments from time to time, when there is a spike in one of the monitors. A small groan escapes, “Leave me alone. Please. Don’t hurt me. Please. I'll do whatever you want me to, just don’t—”_

_Adam begins to cry, feels Allison’s hand on his shoulder. He can’t watch, he can’t take his eyes away. Was every day like this? How could he have stood it? Then Kris begins to yell, very distinctly in Spanish. Adam looks at Alli, who is pale, crying, sobbing silently. “Turn it off, Adam, please.”_

Adam turned shut off the screen. He looked back at the videos, gathered Allison close. He wanted to speak words, to say something, but words failed him. He looked at her as she pulled away. “I wanna get out of here.”

Adam nodded, took the video, put it back in its place. It was then he really saw the numbers, saw the whole section. “Alli,” he whispered.

She walked over, looking at the numbers. “Oh my God. How many? I mean, this looks like…”

“Every goddamn night he was here. And then some. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”  
They leaned against each other as they made their way upstairs. It had only been an hour and half, but Adam was done. He poked his head into one of the rooms, looking for Matt, or Danny or Anoop, a familiar face. Matt was in a corner, intently reading.

“You okay man?”

Adam shook his head. “We need to have a meeting. All of us. The whole fucking camp. And we need to have it today.”

“Okay. Let’s spread the word. After dinner?”

Adam nodded, headed back to the heat and the light. He was sure people talked to him as he made his way back to the cabin with Alli. Kris wasn’t there.

“Where is he?” he asked Sissy, who had been with him.

“He said he had to take a walk. I think he was going to the front gate.”

Adam nodded, headed back into the sun. The front gate wasn’t a terribly bad walk, but Kris still wasn’t one hundred percent. But he had known what was going to be found. He had known, and Adam wasn’t sure what Kris thought that meant, but Adam knew he just wanted to hold him close until it all went away, until everything except the two of them disappeared, until before and after didn’t matter anymore. He found Kris sitting inside, leaning back in a chair, watching the empty road.

“Hey.”

Kris looked up at him. “Well, that was even shorter than I expected.”

Adam shrugged, unable to move from the doorway. “They taped everything.”

Kris nodded. “I know.”

“What don’t you know?’

Kris laughed, short, watery, “Why.”

“See, that’s the only thing I can’t figure.”

“What’s that?” Kris' face was set, eyes focusing on the distance.

“Why.”

“Why what? Why didn’t I tell anyone?”

“No. That one is easy. They threatened you just like everyone else.”

“Okay. Why what?”

“Okay, maybe it’s not a why. Maybe it’s a what,” Adam shrugged as Kris sighed at him, knowing he wanted to be left alone, knowing he shouldn’t be.

“Then what?”

Adam can’t stand this Kris, this angry, exasperated man who was clearly suffering, who refused to give in, to completely lean for once in his life, the one with the strain in his voice and the hardness in his eyes, the one sitting right in front of him. He walked over, sat on the desk. He wanted to be eye to eye with him, but it was not working.

“I want to know, after all of that,” Adam waved in the vague direction of the bunker, “After everything they did to you, what made you break the other day? What could possibly be worse than that?”

Kris closed his eyes, his face fixed in pain. “I guess you’ll find out anyway. I bet they kept records in triplicate.”

Adam nodded. “There was a video, of you. And me, and Allison. Dreaming.”

Kris opened his eyes, tears on his cheeks. “I believe that may have been the time I shattered all the glass on one floor.”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t watch it.”

Kris looked down. Adam wanted to pick him up right then, his heart aching to stop the hurt, to leave the wound alone. But if it festered much longer, Kris would be as broken as Scott, and Adam knew he would break too.

“I ran out that night, had to get away, to think, just for a minute.” Adam watched him play with his hands, caught his gaze as it came to him, stayed steady. “I literally ran into one of the gate guards. I don’t remember his name. I don’t want to. He looked at me, said he remembered the day I came in. Remembered us when we were on TV. And then he picked me up off the ground. He remembered another day. The day certain subjects were released.”

Adam tilted his head. “Lil. Todd. You mean those people who ended up with no abilities.”

Kris nodded, his chest heaving as he tried to hold back. Adam got off the desk, knelt in front of him. “What did the guard remember?”

“They’re dead.”

“What?”

“Doctor Campbell’s orders. I mean they saw what was going on here. And they weren’t any use to her anymore.” Kris looked at the road again. “I can tell you where they are buried if you like.”

“Kris…”

“They used me. They got me to get to you, and they let me know. They knew the guilt would tear me up. But that. That made me sick. I mean this is the United States of America, and because they were inconvenient, they were gone. Just like those poor souls left in the bunker. Just like they were going to do with Scott. “

“Kris. You can’t control everything.”

“I know. But how can I look anyone in the face when I’m the reason they suffered so much? How can I do it? How can I face anyone knowing I lived and the… they died… they died for no fucking reason at all…”

Adam watched, terrified as Kris finally collapsed. He gently lifted him off the chair and onto the floor, holding him tightly. Not saying a word. What could he say? He waited until the worst had subsided, looked down, gathered Kris’ chin into one of his hands.

“Now listen here. They would have found a way to hurt us with or without you. But without you, without you Kris, I’d be sitting in some remote place, doing more tests, testing until I died or they killed me. All of us would. So maybe that’s the balance I don’t know. But without you, I don’t know what I would have done.”

He leaned down, kissed each of Kris’ eyes closed, then gently on the mouth. He pulled away, waited. Kris laid his head against his chest, twined his fingers through Adam’s.

“Adam?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know everything you know.”

“That so?” Adam tilted his head.

Kris looked at him. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t know how the hell we’re going to go back to anything resembling a real life. I don’t know how I’m going to face people ever again. I don’t know…I don’t know how I feel about you.”

 

Adam swallowed, reading the confusion on Kris’ face. “Well, then. I don’t know how to answer that.”

He stared into Kris’ eyes, squeezed his hand. He leaned forward again. Turned when the pounding on the door began.

“Everyone’s ready for the meeting guys!”

“Remind me to talk to Alli about timing later,” Adam whispered.

Kris smiled. “I don’t know about this.”

“Trust me, if this morning was any indication, you’ll be surprised at how people feel about you.”

“Ok. Let’s do this.”

Adam kept his arm around Kris as they walked toward the cafeteria, unsure of what was happening next, unsure of what was happening now. When Kris stiffened in his arms as they approached the hall, he knew Kris felt it. Knew that Kris finally realized just how people really saw him. Just as Adam did.

_Perhaps we went too far in certain cases. However, science cannot grow without some sacrifice. After we are finished, if we are ever finished, perhaps people will hate me, perhaps my actions will be hailed as harsh but necessary. But the unintended consequences of Project Storm unleash so many possibilities, we must find out how to harness the power. We must find out how to use it to our advantage. I feel especially that subjects 1052 and 1056 demonstrate how we could proceed with Project Storm in the future. If we choose the right candidates, people strong of mind, we can mold them as we wish. Unfortunately in the case of 1056, we suffered an unfortunate series of events. In the future we must proceed carefully, and we can create subjects who are perfect for any need. I highly recommend the continuation of Project Storm. General Peyton Campbell, U. S. Army_

 

_Excerpt from transcript of People v. General Peyton Scott:_

_“So you are saying that torturing, killing citizens of the United Sates of America was right?”_

_“I’m saying that in the case of Project Storm, the ideas of right and wrong had to be suspended. That these ‘people’ as you call them, had to be treated differently because they are different. What you don’t understand prosecutor, is that science demands answers, and we had to get them, no matter what the cost.”_

“How many are there?”  
“Head count is officially at 942. There were 1198 here to begin with. Not to mention we think they have a separate camp for children...”

Kris nodded. It wasn’t like he hadn’t stood in front of this many people before. But he wasn’t performing. This time he was speaking about the future, about what was going to happen next. He had begged Adam to lead the meeting, but Adam had shaken his head.

“You know more than I do. I hate to put you in this position, but I think you have a better idea of what’s really going on than I do.”

“What in the hell qualifies me to lead this meeting again?”

Adam smiled at him. “Just listen to them for a minute. Trust me.”

Kris nodded. He let go of his filter for a minute, almost fell down. Ignoring briefly the intensity of the glow of feelings next to him, he reached out to the room. He could hear it in everyone’s thoughts. He had never thought of himself as a leader, but the one commonality in the room was that these people felt he was responsible for saving their lives. He felt light headed. For the first time in months he had hope in his heart, and Adam was the reason. He felt for the first time he could leave here, he could possibly have some semblance of a normal life again. He wasn’t sure how, but it was possible. 

He raised his hand, called for the room to be quiet.

“All right, here goes. As you know some of us chose to start exploring the bunker, to find out why we were here exactly. Without going down there myself I know this much: one: we have been nothing more than an experiment. Two: the experiment was entering a new phase when we made our move. So I’m going to let Anoop talk for a minute, and then he’s going to give the floor back to me, because there is a plan of sorts, but I think maybe we should vote on it.”

Anoop stood up. “Thanks, man. I’m pretty sure I was roped into this because I’m the college boy, but I’ll do my best not to lecture too much.  So, to make a long story short, it seems that there are records of everything that has happened since August. Written records, visual records. There are pages of medical stuff that we might have to have our community doctors look at, but for the most part it’s pretty revealing stuff. I, uh, found some interesting stuff in Dr. Campbell’s office. Seems that she was part of a team testing some sort of weather weapon at the Air Force Base in Ohio- Wright Patterson, I think. Turns out that not only was their aim off, but this so-called Project Storm had unintended consequences. Unfortunately all we have is one side of the story. We found one magazine from outside the camp, but it didn’t tell us much at all. So my suggestion is that we contact the outside. We have to do it sometime. So in a short five minute meeting, Kris had an idea.”

Kris nodded, looking at the crowd again. They had all known that they were a part of some government experiment. Knowing it for sure made everyone mostly angry. Knowing that they were part of an accident, a cover up that made the anger intensify.

“So here’s the deal. As far as we know, the government has told our families that we’re dead, dying, ill, whatever. As far as the government is concerned, or at least the part of the government that put us here is, we are to be swept under the rug. The only solution to that is to go public.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean we find a phone, we call FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MTV, Lifetime, ESPN, Hell, even the CW. We get them all here, and let them have the records. We do interviews. We make sure everyone knows what the hell happened here.”

Kris paused. He knew what was in those rooms, knew that it was mostly terrible, and the thought of everyone knowing what happened terrified him, but at the same time, he couldn’t live knowing that people had done what they had done and gotten away with it.

“And after that?”

“Well, hopefully we get someone’s attention, get them to listen. Then we can give a list of what we want to them. I mean, we’re going to be pretty recognizable if we do this, so I’m thinking Witness Protection, asylum in Switzerland, that sort of thing.”

“What if we don’t want to share?”

“That’s up to you. But let me say this. I know there are terrible things down there.” Kris pointed to his head, nervous laughter passing around the room. “And I don’t want anyone to know. But I’m going to, because what happened to us, what happened here is a crime, and I want it to be known. If you don’t want to share, that’s okay. We can pull your records, pull your videos. But at the end of the day, even though you may all end up hating me at the end of this, I want people to know. So we’re going to take names as far as that is concerned, and then we’re compiling a list of what we want from the government, of how we want to move on. So we’re going to go around, and tomorrow we’ll get this show on the road.”

Kris watched as the room began to hum in excitement. He let out a breath. He grabbed one of the clipboards on the tables, began to write.

“So how many did we get?”

The group was about fifteen. Kris grinned as Danny tried to help Joey into a seat, got slapped away as she told him she could do just fine for herself. He had his own personal bets at how that was going to end up. He leafed through the papers again, waiting for someone to start naming names.

“I don’t have anyone.”

Around the table, everyone echoed the sentiment.

“Are you freaking kidding me? Everyone?”

“You painted a convincing argument. The best way to repay the bastards is to let it go public.”

Kris nodded. “So I guess we better start compiling demands, deciding how to contact the media.”

“Oh the media is easy,” Adam grinned.

“How is that?”

“We send someone to 19 with Joey.”

Everyone turned. Kris smiled. It was perfect. It would be a great way to get attention, to get everyone here. “Except once we go there how do we get everyone back here?”

“That’s easy. Joey and whoever drive out of here until they reach the nearest town. Once she finds out where you are, you go to 19, and tell them where to come.”

“You’ve obviously been thinking about this for awhile.”

“Ever since you suggested the media, that’s what I’ve been thinking.”

“So who do we send?”  
Kris was surprised when everyone turned to him. “Really? Why me?”

“You are the American Idol, after all,” Adam said.

“Plus you totally organized our escape,” Allis smiled.

“And you already have free cheese dip for life, what other demands could you have?”

Kris stared at Matt, burst into laughter. It was as close to old times as they were going to get, and he knew it. He smiled. “All right, I guess I just got drafted. Do I have to go now, or is tomorrow better?”

“I don’t know whenever you want.”

_Owen hates when his secretary spazzes at the people who come through his office. It wasn’t as if celebrities didn’t come here every day. He had been getting ready to leave, but obviously this was important, at least on the level of her spazzing. Owen put it about at a 12 on a scale of ten. He sighed, told her to let them in. It took him a moment to recognize the man in dusty gray. It had been so long, and he was supposed to be dead._

_“You’re dead.”_

_The man gives a familiar half-grin; his eyes however, are not the same. “No. But there are days.”_

_Owen carefully sits down. “All right, I want to know everything.”_

_“Everything? There isn’t time enough for that. However I can give you the basics.”_

_Owen nodded, and as Kris Allen began to talk, the whole world shifted._

It was about two in the morning when they returned to camp. Joey stumbled off to a cabin. Kris stood in the night, staring at the stars. He leaned against the gate, wondered if he could put off sleep again. Although the dreams had gotten better, last night had been a revelation. Kris smiled. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about those dreams, about his own feelings. He had been avoiding them, trying to concentrate on the next day, the next step. But now that it looked like it was ending, like everything was moving on, all the time he had spent in planning he could spend overanalyzing his emotions. It had never been this complicated when it was Katy. But then again Katy had been the easiest decision of his life.

Kris knew he had to see her again, knew it was going to be hard. But he also knew too much had changed, too much had happened that he could not burden her with. Also knowing that to her, he had been dead, that changed everything as well. He never wanted to cause her pain, but he also knew that going back to her was more painful than not.

He woke the next day, deciding maybe the guardhouse was the best place to sleep: no dreams but his own. He spent most of it organizing how they were going to handle the incoming media, the government, the prisoners. Adam was with the prisoners right now, making sure they understood what was to happen. The others were in the bunker, trying to sort out material, how it was to be handed out. He wasn’t sure where Scott was, knew he had been having a hard day, especially knowing Todd was dead. Kris had debated telling him, but in the end, Scott had to know.

He heard the first gunshot when he was on his way to the hospital to try and find Megan and check on her progress. He stepped into a run, heard the yelling, heard four more shots, heard someone (he thought it might be Megan) scream for a doctor.

He stopped; saw the former guards standing back, Dr. Campbell with a speculative look on her face. Kris knew that one; it was where she was filing away information for analyzation. He clawed his way through the cluster, stopped when he saw Scott cradled in Adam’s arms, a bloody cloth over his eyes. Adam was murmuring quietly to Scott, telling him to hold still, to hold on, help was coming. He also saw three others off to the side, being attended to by others. **DANNY WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING I NEED YOU BY THE HOSPITAL**

“What happened?”

Megan knelt beside him, her voice strained, “He just came up here, no one was with him, and he held his hands over his face, and he was screaming about wanting to see again. He, he, he had a knife in his hand, and it looked like he had stuck it in his eyes, and….Kris, he went right over to the guards, and he had a gun, and he was shooting, and then he held the gun to his chin, and I think, and then he fell over, and he’s just bleeding everywhere, and I don’t know what to do….”

Kris nodded slowly. How the hell had Scotty gotten a gun? What the hell kind of good did he think it was going to do? He scooted closer, looked briefly at Adam, who was shaking his head. “Kris, I don’t know…”

“Shhh. We have to help him.”

Kris grabbed Scotty’s hand, tried to read him, tried to listen.He let go, shaking his head. In that one moment he again knew more than he wanted to, knew and regret that he hadn’t tried to find out earlier.

Danny came running up then, kneeling down, holding Scott’s hand, closing his eyes. When he looked up again he was crying, his voice barely registering. “I’m sorry, I can’t. It’s too much. I’m sorry.”

He stood walked away. Kris looked back at Adam, still murmuring quietly, then back to Scott. Then he heard what Adam was saying.

“It’s okay Scott. Why don’t you go to sleep now? I bet that would be good. That’s right. Shhhh. Go to sleep. That’s right.”

Kris watched as Scott’s breathing evened. For almost a minute they sat, Scott’s breathing becoming shallow, slowing, stopping. Adam looked up, his eyes full of misery. Kris stood then, ignoring whatever question came his way. He strode over to where the guards stood silently. He didn’t even realize how angry he was until Dr. Campbell slammed into the wall, unable to move.

“I don’t know a lot of things,” Kris growled, “but I know this much. What just happened was your fault.  And you were filing it away for your _research_. I saw what you did and it fucking disgusts me. Of all the human beings I have ever known you are the lowest.”

He hadn’t realized, but with each word, Dr. Campbell began to choke, began to lose her breath. Even so she was smiling.

“You forgot something, though, bitch. I’m not a killer. And I never will be.” Kris stood back, let her go, and walked away. When he reached the front gate, he proceeded to punch the wall.

“Kris?”

“They broke him, in ways I cannot even describe. I should have found out earlier, should have tried to reach him. I knew some of it, but… just now… just now.” Kris swallowed. “I could have stopped it.”

Adam shook his head. “I don’t know about that. But I do know this; we all could have tried harder. But he was broken a long time ago, and I’m not sure anything could have pulled him out.”

Kris looked at Adam, nodded. He leaned against the wall, shifted only slightly as Adam’s arms wrapped around him, held him close. It seemed he was making a habit of crying in Adam’s arms. He felt a kiss against his forehead, looked up.

Adam’s face was red and splotchy and perfect. Kris reached up, brushed a stray hair away, kissed the freckle just above his lips, leaned into him, found himself gently pushed away.

“Kris.”

He stood watching as Adam tried to push back his feelings again. “Don’t”

“Don’t what?”

“Walk away.”

“Kris, you don’t know what you’re doing. There’s too much right now—“

“Just because I don’t know what I’m feeling doesn’t mean I don’t feel at all.”

Adam paused.

“Adam… I… please. Stay. Just for moment. Just so… just…” Kris rubbed his face. “I don’t know.”

Adam walked back, took Kris’ face in his hand, tracing it with his lips. Kris shivered, his hands beginning to work at Adam’s shirt, underneath it, tracing a pattern across his chest. Adam pushed him against the wall, gently nipping at his mouth as he kissed him, his tongue patiently exploring. While removing Adam’s shirt, Kris began to also work on his pants, using his abilities, finally, for good.

Adam gasped. “That’s cheating.”

“So you say.”

“Kris…”

Kris shushed him. “I don’t want to stop.”

Adam looked at him, his eyes dark, his breath heavy. “I know. Neither do I.”

“Then why am I?”

“Because technically, even though you’re dead, you’re still married, and you are a good guy.”

“Why can’t I be the bad one for once?”

Adam laughed. “Never. However, if you let me, I’ll give you some _excellent_ dreams tonight.”

Kris grinned slightly, leaning on Adam as they left the guardhouse, holding Alli close when she came to them, staying up half the night telling Scott stories, weeping silently as Adam held him close, as the dreams took over again.

_The reporters are curious as to what brought  them out here, what could possibly be in the middle of New Mexico. It must be important for 19 Entertainment to pull out so many favors. Their surprise as they pull up to what looks like a prison camp is mild, but when Adam Lambert answers the gate, nods, and welcomes them in, they know they are in for something special._

_He apologizes for the lack of people, but says yesterday was a bad day, so it was just the tour guides for right now. Seeing familiar faces once more, the reporters begin to buzz, to ask questions. Adam quiets them, tells them any questions will be answered, but for right now, the tour was starting. Each group of reporters would get two guides._

_Not really understanding what was going on, finding out what had really happened here, the reporters realized that not only were they involved in the most sensational entertainment story of the year, but also one of the biggest government cover-ups in the history of their nation…_

Adam sighed as he watched the strangers wander the camp. It had been three days of tours, interviews, more interviews. A lawyer had met with them, laying out the process for beginning to go back to real life. They were rich apparently. After their death, 19 had released unrecorded material plus a concert DVD that had sold beyond millions. The money had been given to their legal heirs. And now, the government had issued a declaration, saying the Secretary of the Army was coming to see them.

As was with the end of anything, Adam felt a sense of bittersweet relief. He didn’t know what was coming next, but this, this was over. He looked at Kris, unsure of how he felt about how that was developing, unsure that it was wise to let it go on. He also knew their families were coming, and Adam promised himself that no matter what, if Kris changed his mind, if he and Katy could work it out, then Adam was going to step away.

“Mr. Lambert?”

Adam looked up at the reporter. “Sorry, I was woolgathering for a minute. What was your question again?”

_List of Demands as given by the campers of Area 51_

1\. All records of all occurrences in Area 51 will be made public

2\. All guards, doctors and other officials involved in Project Storm will be tried accordingly

3\. Project Storm will be effectively terminated

4\. All refugees will be given the opportunity to rejoin society in the way they wish, whether through Witness Protection, asylum, or other means

5\. Area 51 and its subsidiary camps will be destroyed

Adam grinned at his brother. “Well, you know, I’m thinking of keeping the ponytail. I kind of like it.”

“I guess if it makes you happy.”

Adam shrugged. The camp was overfull; families either standing awkwardly or warmly laughing. Watching Michael and Megan hold their children had made him cry, seeing Kris holding Katy’s hand, both of their faces a mix of love and regret had wrecked his heart.  He wanted to know, wanted everyone to be happy. But they had all known that this was hard to accept, had all known that everything couldn’t be perfect. Then again, seeing Sissy being hugged warmly by Allison’s mom, knowing she had somewhere to go, made hope a little easier to find.

When Kris walked up to him later, his step heavy, his whole body barely moving, Adam knew.

“She said she didn’t know what to think, said she had accepted it. Said she had seen the coverage, asked me if she should keep watching, because it terrified her. She wasn’t sure she could go through that much pain again. Said maybe it was better… maybe it was better if we both moved on.”

“Kris… isn’t that what you wanted?”

Kris shrugged. “The only problem with making all the stuff public is the tabloids, you know?”

Adam thought for a minute, and then realized what that meant. “She knows.”

Kris nodded. “She said she understood, said that she had gone a date, and said she felt kind of guilty about it, until she realized that I had known that she was going to move on, that I had accepted things were different. She said she was glad I hadn’t been alone. Said she was calling you later…”

Adam nodded. “I think your parents want to talk to you again.”

Kris sighed, walked over. Adam knew it was going to be a hard day for everyone. Even those whose families had accepted them back would need time. It couldn’t go back to before. But maybe after could be a good thing, maybe after was different, but it was certainly better than camp, better than the endless days of sun and dust and pain. And then he saw her.

“Mrs. MacIntyre.”

She looked at him. “Adam.”

“I wasn’t sure you were coming.”

“I had to come get my boys, now didn’t I?”

Adam nodded, sat with her. “Scotty….Scotty.”

“I heard you were with him at the end.”

“I was.”

“They told me you helped him die peacefully.”

Adam swallowed. “I tried.”

“I haven’t seen the records yet. Will you tell me what happened?”

“Scotty…I guess he inherited some sort of enhanced vision. Possibly long distance, possibly X-Ray. I’m not sure. He could see. The doctors experimented too far. Blinded him again. At least in the one eye for sure. The other worked intermittently. When they were going to move us, they were going to kill him. He wasn’t useful anymore. I’m not going to lie Mrs. Mac; he wasn’t always the Scotty you knew here. He had good days. But that last day was not one of them. I’m sorry.”

She patted his hand. “It’s okay. It’s good to know all of you tried to help him, tried to save him.”

“Not hard enough. And you will hear that from every one of us.”

Watching her walk the camp, touching everything as her son would have, was one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. Watching as people began to leave over the next two weeks was harder. Allison promised to come visit, and swore she would bring Sissy too. Anoop and Megan and Ryder said their goodbyes quietly, leaving early in the morning without fuss. Danny walked out of camp on his way to Africa, Joey stalking him with an intent expression on her face. If she didn’t have him thinking straight within the first month, Adam was sure it would be soon. Michael went off with his wife and kids, a big grin on his face. Everyone promised they would be back for Scotty’s memorial.

Adam, Kris and Matty were the last three at camp. The guards had been taken away; the reporters had left long ago. It was just them and the new commander of Project Storm. General Agen. It was quiet as they walked out of the front gate.

“So where are you off to?”

Adam looked at Matt, then Kris. “We’re, uh, actually headed to Base Two. Some of the children won’t talk at all. Between the two of us, maybe we can do some good. After that…”

“Don’t know,” Kris shrugged. “What about you Matt?”

Matt grinned. “Vegas baby. Where else?”

Adam laughed. Of all of them, Matt was the one who would walk toward the cameras instead of away. “So I guess this is it, huh?”

Matt nodded, shook both their hands, gave them a quick hug. "See ya, man. Good luck.”

Adam nodded, watched as the buildings began to burn, got into the jeep with Kris. As they drove away, towards the distant mountains, he glanced back at the orange glow. He felt Kris’ hand slip into his.

“Too bad. I would have liked to vacation there.”

He turned to Kris, who had a faint smile on his face, who was giggling. He began to laugh, the weight of the past finally lifted, the realization he was moving on began to hit him. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Music was probably out: who wanted to come to a concert from someone who could control you with their voice? He watched Kris, who was staring out the window. He wasn’t sure if that was his future either: if it was the right future. He shrugged, closed his eyes and slept.

_“And on a final note, today marked the departure of the last of the refugees from a government program known as Project Storm. While the future of many of these refugees has been hidden by request, and the trials of those involved yet to begin, questions still remain. What happens next? As scientists begin to question the ethical versus necessary, one has to wonder if the refugees had not been successful in escaping, would we have ever known the truth? Furthermore, if it becomes a question of genetics, do we have a right to know? Or do the refugees have a right to privacy? As time passes, maybe we will get answers. One thing is certain, we have changed, and how we react to those changes will define us in ways we cannot imagine. I’m Katie Couric, and I’ll see you tomorrow._

Kris barely believed it. There were eighty children total at Base Two. Of those eighty, forty-three had families there. The others… the others had been abandoned, or their parents had been killed. Either way, they were alone. If he had thought he was tired and angry before, he had been wrong. While the children had been treated well, they were confused, sad. They hadn’t been loved, only cared for. For those whose families had returned and stayed, it was easier. For those who were alone… Kris sat holding Kay, barely five, who wouldn’t speak to anyone. Except the funny Mr. Allen, who talked in her head and made pretty pictures there.

“Kay, it’s getting cold again.”

“Sorry. Forgot.”

“It’s okay.”

Kay had to have extra of everything, her habit of accidentally freezing and breaking all too familiar. According to the records, she had stopped asking for her parents after two weeks, had stopped speaking after three. Every time she had broken something, they had taken something else away. She had been isolated. Kris clenched his jaw. They had tried to train a five year old like a soldier.

“Mr. Allen, why are you making that face? It’s kinda scary.”

Kris forced himself to take a breath. “Sorry, I was thinking of something else. How about we go get some lunch? I’m hungry.”

Kris had already decided the first day here what he wanted to do. He knew he couldn’t go back to the music, not professionally. The thought of trying to filter thousands of people frightened him a little. But here, here he could do some good. He hadn’t quite figured out the details, but he at least had the groundwork laid out. He hadn’t asked Adam yet, was afraid to ask him to stay. He wanted to hope, but he had only relearned how in the last three weeks. He couldn’t quite trust it just yet.

Add into that that Adam was the one who kept himself apart, Adam was the one who wanted time, and Kris held himself back. He liked most of the people who had come here, and since there was no dust to speak of, the surroundings were great. If he looked out his window and squinted really hard, he thought he could point to Area 51. Maybe.

Adam asked him if he was going home after this. Kris didn’t know where home was. Arkansas seemed like a memory of a movie. LA seemed like a dream. The cabin, the bunker, a nightmare. Here. Even here felt temporary. It seemed the only plan that felt right was when he sneaked out of his room at night and lay next to Adam, holding him close, trying to block out the lonely dreams that chased him, laying his head against Adam’s back, kissing gently the scars that were there, the ones that weren’t.

He spent many days talking with the doctors, discussing his idea, an idea he had actually gotten from Matt and Michael and their endless debates in camp. He smiled at the thought of what he was doing. It was when the doctors mentioned genetics he realized that maybe there was a future here.

“Wait a minute; they really think we could pass this on? For sure?”

Kris looked at Adam. “Yeah.”

“Okay, why is that important? Is it whatever you’ve been holed up and planning?”

Kris nodded. “Yeah.”

“And now you’ve decided to share?”

Kris sighed at Adam’s tone. He had every right to be a little angry, but every time Kris tried to move forward, Adam backed away. He hadn’t said as much, but Kris knew Adam was trying to give him space, trying to separate what was between them and what had happened at the camp.

“Yes. I’m staying. Here that is. I mean, half these kids have nowhere to go. I have more money than I could possibly dream of, thanks to the shamelessness of 19, and I have nowhere else to go. I was thinking maybe of setting up a school for these kids, you know, maybe for all the kids, even possibly the future kids… you know?”

Adam looked at him. “That’s pretty ambitious.”

“Well you know me; I’ve turned into Mr. Big Plans.”

“Why tell me now?”

“Because we leave for Arizona in a week. Because every day you seem to walk that much further away. Because I want you to stay.”

“Kris.”

He watched Adam struggle for words, refused to peek, to try to read him before he can say it aloud.

“Kris, I want to say yes. But a year from now, I don’t want you to begin to look at me and wonder. I want this to be completely real. Add in that technically you are still married- it’s just too sticky. Ask me again a year. When you’ve really had time. I’m sorry. I need time too. I didn’t want to tell you like this, but I’m going to LA for the week—maybe longer. I don’t know.”

Kris watched him walk away. He wanted to tell him everything in his heart, to tell him that he didn’t need a year to know anything. But he also knew that the time was for Adam as well, that Adam needed time to believe. He turned down the hall, returned to work.

_“June 18th, 2010. Today, the mourners have gathered in Scottsdale, Arizona to mourn the passing of brothers Scott and Todd MacIntyre. This is actually the second memorial, the first being after their deaths were announced last fall. However, this time it is real. We were not allowed inside, but reports have it that all of Scott’s fellow cast mates came today, although some were heavily disguised. Reports also say that there was not a dry eye in the house as videos played, choirs sang and friends and family spoke. In a statement released by the MacIntyre family, Mrs. MacIntyre was quoted as such: We would like to express our thanks for everyone’s love and support. Scott and Todd were only two of over two hundred who died, only two more numbers. Thankfully justice is being served, and we can finally move on. I want to thank all of those who knew them during that time that could come out, for sharing what they could of my boys with me. Thank you._

_In another continuing development, today also marked the official annulment of Kris Allen’s marriage. He has not released a statement, and Katy Allen could not be reached for comment at this time. It seems that the story can and will continue. This is Ann Curry. I’m sending it back to you, Matt, Meredith."_

Adam sat in the back of the room, his chocolate cake untouched. He didn’t want to be here. All it did was bring back the image of Scotty lying in his arms, of Scotty slipping away. All it did was remind him he was choosing to be alone, choosing once more to isolate himself.

Sure, it seemed like their story had a happy ending, that there was hope. But it didn’t change that after wasn’t so happily ever. He couldn’t look at Kris, couldn’t be near him. He wanted to say yes, wanted to be a part of what Kris was doing, but he couldn’t. He had needed the space, needed to reevaluate. He had gone to LA, but he didn’t belong there. He didn’t belong anywhere anymore. The only place that felt right was Kris, and even then…

Adam wanted it to be right, wanted it to be true, but he also knew what Kris had been through. Right now, he was attached to Adam, but Adam wondered if that was temporary, if it was the circumstances rather than reality. He had stepped away for that very reason. And when Kris had stayed away he knew he was right. Until he had turned on the TV. At first he had wanted to try to see if he could return to normal, but one night at a club, even disguised reminded he was no longer that person. So he turned on the TV. Depending on the channel, he could watch any part of his experience. The first day he had watched tapes from the quarantine, the one set up not to prevent the spread of the swine flu, but the one intended to catch victims of Project Storm. Scenes of suburbia, men in biohazard suits, tents, crying children… He flipped. The trials, Dr. Campbell’s smarmy face full of conviction. Flip. Oh god, the bunker. Flip. TMZ showing Anoop and Megan, then him and Kris. Adam almost flipped, until something caught his eye. It was the two of them, during one of the last interviews, and Adam had been saying something, and the camera had found Kris in he background, watching. The look in his eye, the love, the desire, the complete devotion…Adam had swallowed the message in those eyes loud and clear. So he had been wrong. Maybe Kris had felt something from the beginning, maybe it was real. Adam stood up, stalked into the kitchen. Well, guess he had fucked it up again.

“Adam?”

“What? Don’t ask me again, you know the answer.”

Kris stepped back, a frown on his face. Good. Maybe if he pissed him off enough, Adam could feel something besides the constant ache.

“You know, if you weren’t such an idiot, maybe we wouldn’t be having this discussion at all.”

“What?”

“Look, I was going to give you time to think about it, but even without reading you, I know I’ve given you too much time already.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You think that all of my feelings are tied up in what happened to us and that’s bull.”

Adam stared, too hopeful to speak.

“Do you want to hear how I feel?”

Adam nodded. “Maybe. Depends.”

Kris grinned, took his hand. “The last week, I slept like shit. The kids missed Mr. Adam and his endless stories. I missed seeing your smile. I missed having you nag at me for wearing the same damn plaid shirt for the third day in a row. Last night I watched you sleep so I could count your freckles for the thousandth time. When somebody asks me about love, I think of you. I’ve lived in a house, an apartment, a mansion and a cabin, and it feels the most right when you are there. Of all the people in this world, normal and not, you are the only one who understands me. Completely. Last night I couldn’t sleep. When you’re there I can. Remember that song? You are the nights I call home.”

Adam tried to burble something out, his face streaming. **Let me try something** he nodded as Kris took both his hands, concentrated.

And then he felt it, a wave of love, warm, golden, outlined in a crest of desire. “Was that you?”

Kris nodded.

“Is that… is that anything like, is that what you feel when I, is that…”

Kris stepped forward, kissing him, softly at first, then his mouth urgent, knocking Adam into the counter. **Yes.**

Adam grinned. “Well, then, I always thought teachers were kind of hot, you know?”

They laughed, Kris kissing him again, knocking over pans in the sink, everyone running in as they sat on the floor laughing, holding hands…

_Excerpt from 5 Years After The Storm: A Barbara Walters Exclusive:_

_“So you’re saying that despite media reports to the contrary, your “school” isn’t a secret army designed to take over the world?”_

_The brunette laughs. “No. Despite what people think, we formed the school because these children were abandoned, and needed somewhere to go. And frankly, due to their abilities, no one would take them. So that’s that. I welcome anyone who wants to come to visit. We’re not hiding. Just don’t try to ambush us. We’re more than well equipped to take care of that. We don’t mind that you are protesting, just that you choose to resort to violence” </ em>_

_Barbara smiles, turns to Adam, all in black, his hair pulled back. “And I suppose that the reports that you coerced your husband into marrying you, that you have him under your complete control.”_

_Both men laugh, Adam reaching out for Kris’ hand, fingering the gold ring. “Trust me; there are days when I wish I could control him. Trust me; he’s the one who convinced me into this whole thing. Lucky me.”_

_“And you are writing music now?”_

_Adam nods. “Yeah, couldn’t give that up completely-was too much a part of our lives. Plus the money goes into the school, so it’s double duty.”_

_Barbara smiles, tilts her head, looking at Kris’s now upturned wrist. “May I ask what the significance of the tattoos are?”_

_Both men’s face become serious as the camera focuses. “They were our numbers. The numbers they gave us when we were forced into camp. A reminder of not so happy times,” Kris's eyes darken, until Adam nudges him, some sort of message passing between them._

_“Speaking of happy times, I hear that your friend Michael Sarver was just appointed special liaison to the President.”_

_“Yes. After the first protests, we voted and asked for someone to bridge the gap. Mike…Mike has a family who is ‘normal’. He is not. There is no one person more qualified for the job.”_

_“And what about those who say you aren’t using your powers for good, for all the good you can do?”_

_Adam sighs, “Look, all of you have seen us help when and where we can. But the reason some of us went into hiding, the reason no one has heard from Danny in years is that we can’t do everything. We have limitations. And trust us when we say that it kills us that we can’t do more.”_

_“All right, on to other subjects…Matt Giraud just signed another five year contract…”_

August 25th was a school holiday. Every student knew why. The wall of names at the entrance was too obvious. The remembrance speeches were another sign. Lastly, the larger group, the many refugees who had returned.

The campus was bustling with people, games and picnics spread across the grounds. Kris smiled as he sat on the edge of the impromptu bandstand, watching. Megan and Anoop had come early, announcing four year old Lilly, whenever she cried it rained, and whenever she giggled, there was a rainbow, and whenever she was hungry…. It was genetic after all. Danny kept wandering around a foolish grin on his face, fingering his wedding ring, picking up random children as if to test them out. Joey kept yelling at him, but it didn’t stop him from saying he had to practice. Mike was busy entertaining a group of kids, some of them students, some of them guests. It didn’t matter, they had no prejudices. Allison and Sissy were running around alternatively giggling then ignoring boys. Allison had gone back to the music, had roped her “sister” into coming with her, won a billion awards, and was now officially the second most famous person at the camp. Matt was grinning like a loon as he partially reenacted his Vegas show, his wife looking on exasperated. She was the last person Kris would have picked for him, but it worked.

Adam. Adam was somewhere with their son. Scott had a habit of toddling off at the most inconvenient times.

“Dadak! Dadak! Dadam chasing!”

Kris grinned as the strawberry blond toddler ran to him. “I cannot believe we let those stupid names stick.”

Adam sighed. “I don’t think I was the one who suggested them!”

“I’m not the one who had them embroidered on bibs!”

“Well, you better not get any ideas for the next baby!”

“Who says I want another one, Dadam?”

“You better since Emily’s going to be here anytime, Dadak.”

“Idiot.”

“Love you too."

Kris laughed, put his arm around Adam, and held his boy close. Every day there were people at the gates, screaming for the freaks to die, for the mountain to fall down.  Kris hadn’t been down there, not since the one nightmare, the one in which he found himself with blood on his hands, all of them dead. Adam had had the final say in that. Kris had agreed. Adam was better at dealing with them, even without using his ‘voice’. His husband (and sometimes that still made Kris' head turn) the diplomat.

The dreams still came sometimes, especially when it rained, when the lights flashed, and the rolling thunder reverberated through the mountains. Sometimes, they would come when he went off the mountain, returned to the desert. Sometimes they would come for no reason at all.

Mostly, he tried to remember that after the storm came picnics and kite flying, that after the storm came love. That after the storm, he had found himself all over again, in a way he couldn’t possibly imagine. That after the storm, hope was possible.

Later that evening, they would have open mic night, dedicating it to the two hundred and fifty-six souls that should have been there. They would leave two slots open, where Lil and Scott should have been singing. At the end they would break out the old standard, everyone joining in on the chorus, and Adam would grin at him, and grab him in a kiss.

“Never used to end the concert like that.” Adam leered.

“Should have.”

“Idiot.”

**Love you too.**


End file.
